UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
SECRET MEMOIRS
O F
ROBERT,
COUNT DE PARADES,
A FRENCH S P T.
NON INOPIA HOMINUM, SED DESIDIA, NEGLIGENTIA
ET 1NSCJENTIA PR2BCIPIENTIHM. Taeitut.
SECRET MEMOIRS
OF
ROBERT,
COUNT DE PARADES,
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF,
ON COMING OUT OF THE BASTILK.
Serving to fupply fome important FACTS for the Hiftory of the
late War;
AND CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF HIS SUCCESSFUL TRANSACTIONS,
AS
A SPT IN ENGLAND,
WITH THE REAL CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF THE EVER
MEMORABLE EXPEDITION AGAINST PLYMOUTH,
In 1779.
LONDON,
PRINTED FOR R. BALDWIN, PATER-NOSTER ROW.
MDCCXCI.
AD VERTI SEMENT
TRANSLATOR.
A LTHOUGH it is not mentioned how
v *** the original memoirs were obtained,
nor where, nor by whom they were pub-
*' limed -, yet there are many reafons to be-
SE lieve they contain matters of faft. The
plain and unftudied ftyle in which they are
written, every where expreffive of the au-
thor's emotions, as they arofe at the time,
may be confidered as affording an internal
co evidence of their authenticity. But a ftronger
^ proof may be drawn from the account given
* of the Combined and Englifti fleets, many of
^ the operations of which are of public no-
toriety ; and with regard to the private
tranfa&ions of the author, fome of them
have been confirmed by gentlemen of pro-
bity, who perfonally knew the truth of what
j| our author relates on thefe heads. We have,
't therefore, deemed it a duty to offer a tranfla-
b tion
30127?
tion to the public ; for, by bringing to
light a part of the fecret correfpondence,
which was kept up between this country
and France during the laft war, and which
narrowly miffed of producing the moft feri-
ous confequences, it was thought it would
prove interefting to every Englishman ; and
by expofing, as it does, the negligence of
fome in office, and the corruption of others,
during that period, might render govern-
ment more watchful on fimilar occafions.
The divifion into chapters, which is
adopted in the original, has been difregard-
cd in the tranflation ; becaufe it feemed
quite unnecefTary in a narrative not very
long, and no where interrupted ; fome mi-
nute and tedious details which are by no
means eflential to the narration, nor interefl>
ing to an Englishman, have likewife been
retrenched ; and, laftly, care has been taken,
to leave out many names of men, mips, and
other things, published by the French edi-
tors, left they might point out particular
perfons as abettors of this enterprifing Spy ;
and thereby charge them with a criminality,
i which,
which, notwithftanding the general proba-
bility of the author's flory, ought not to
be done upon fuch evidence.
Some expreffions, which feemed todeferve
the reader's particular notice, have been put
in italics.
b 2 ADVER'
AD V ERTISEMENT
FRENCH EDITORS.
OUR only motive for publijhing thefe memoirs,
of which a great many writ fen copies have
gone abroad^ is to make the world acquainted
with that extraordinary man who is the author
of them. We have, therefore, thought proper
to fupprefs the names of many perfons therein
concerned, as they might, otherwife, have com-
plained of having their fecrets divulged.
We lave made no alteration in the Jlyle ofthefc
memoirs. 7/4 lay them before the public, juft
as they were prefented to the king. It was in
confequence of reading them, that Marjhal de
Cajlries, at that time minifter of the marine de-
partment, interejled himfelf to get Count de
Parades releafed, and to have the remainder of
his accounts fettled.
Count de Parades died at St. Domingo, in the
prime of life.
ADVER-
ADVERTISEMENT
AUTHOR.
NATURE having given me a fpirit of
enterprife, attended with great fenfi-
bility, I foon endeavoured to diffipate the
obfcurity, that hid, even from myfelf, the
authors of my being. I was eager to ac-
quire a name, when I learnt from a refpect-
able friend that I had one*; and I was anxi-
ous to prove by my conduft, that I was
worthy of it. Therefore, as foon as I be-
gan to reflect, honour and fortune were the
only objects of my attention; and I con-
ceived the beft way of acquiring them, was
to undertake things evidently hazardous,
but which, in cafe of fuccefs, would gain
me the rewards I fought. The manner in
which I commenced my career had fafficient
eclat to create envy, and of courfe enemies.
* Some fuppofe that M. de Parades was a defcendant of the fa-
mily of Paraded in Spain ; others that he was an illegitimate child of
a Count de Parades, a Spanifh grandee, who died in the French
fervice ; but moft people are of opinion, that he was only the foil
f a paftry-cook at Fallburg.
I have
[ * ]
I have been confined under a fufpicion of
having betrayed the interefts of the ftate,
when, in truth, I had formed the befl plans
for its advantage. My innocence has been
proved, and I have been fet at liberty; but
as the proceedings againft me were of fuch
a nature as not to be publicly known, I now
purpofe to lay before government, the man-
ner in which I executed the commiffion
that I wns charged with by the then minif-
ter ; the many opportunities which occur-
red to me of making my own fortune (all
which I was allowed to take advantage of)
in the courfe of the whole tranfaclion - f and,
laftly, the fums of money I received from
the minifter, and what I paid on the king's
account, upon the bufinefs with which I
was trufted ; and from this ilatement will
be feen the propriety of my demands upon
his majeily.
It will be perceived, that thefe memoirs
are not the work of a lettered man, nor the
fruits of much ftudy or reflection. I have
reprefented with iimplicity facts relating to
myfelf ; being perfuaded that truth mould
be the only recommendation of what I have
written.
LETTER
LETTER
TO THE
KIN
SIRE,
'VT'OU have juft beftowed upon
your people the bleffings of
peace, and added new luftre to
your reign . In that war which you
have fo glorioufly terminated, I was
employed to promote the fuccefs of
your arms, and I was found worthy
of the favours of your Majefty; but
calumny has made me pay very
dearly for them. My enemies have
prevailed upon you, by mifrepre-
fentations, to deprive me of my liber-
ty ; and have fubjecled to the fufpi-
cion of treachery towards you, Sire,
* This letter was written in 1783.
one
one, who, after having exhaufled in
your fervice the greateft part of his
fortune, would willingly have fhed
the laft drop of his blood in the
fame caufe.
Thefe memoirs will furnim your
Majefty with an account of my
tranfaftions and of my difgrace ; and
there refides in your Majefty 's breaft
that juftice which is naturally look-
ed for, by
SI R E,
The moft humble,
And the moft refpe&ful of all
Your faithful fubje&s and fervants,
COUNT de PARADES.
A
SHORT ACCOUNT
o r
Mr PROCEEDINGS,
From the Firft of JANUARY, 1778, to the PEACE in 1782.
AF T E R a refidence of four years in foreign
countries, I came to Paris in the beginning of
1778. France was then making thofe preparations,
which indicated an approaching war with Eng-
land.
I had long had an inclination to enter into the
fervice of government ; but it was rather too late
for me to engage in that line of life, in the ufual
way, as I was 25 years old. I thought that the prc-
fent time might be a favourable opportunity for a more
rapid promotion, and I was lenfible that all my for-
tune would depend upon my manner of firft letting
out.
After having well examined every thing, and con-
fidered how far my fortune would enable me to
B go,
go, I fixed upon the plan of vifiting England, in
order to acquire a complete knowledge of that king-
dom, of its fea and land forces, of its fortified towns
and ports, and thereby to lay the foundation of my
future advancement.
Accordingly I put this plan into execution. I
repaired to England in the beginning of February j
I vifited the principal towns of that kingdom $ in-
quired into, and made memorandums of every thing
of importance. Furnifhed with thefe obfervations,
I returned to France about the middle of March.
I drew up a fhort account of my journey, which
I gave to M. de Sartine, and explained to him, at
the fame time, my motives for having undertaken
this expedition. The minifter approved of my
zeal, promifed me he would give an account of it to
the king, and required a few days to look over my
papers. When I had the honour to fee him again,
he told me he was pleafed with them, but that he
wiflied to have a more minute defcription of
what they contained. In confequence of this,
he charged me to go again into England, to ob-
ferve more accurately every port and fortified place,
to take exact plans, and draw up defcriptions , to
fubjoin feparate ftatements of the Englifh navy, of
the number of men of war fitted out, the number
of
t 3 ]
of thofe in commiffion, and of thofe upon the flocks ;
of the dock-yards if poffible, and in general of
every thing that related to the marine department.
I left Verfailles, and came immediately to Eng-
land. I went over all the places I had feen before, took
an exaft lift of all the men of war, frigates, and
other veflels ; I vifited the dock-yards with the moft
fcrupulous attention, and brought back to the mi-
nifter a fatisfactory account of every thing concern-
ing which he wanted to be informed.
M. de Sartine exprefied his fatisfa&ion at the
fuccefs of my journey, and promifed to lay my ac-
count of it before the king. I waited upon him
three days afterwards, when he afked me if I thought
it poffible to get faithful agents in the different ports
of England, to give a daily account of what
was going on. I told him I thought it might be
done. He afked me, in the next place, if there
was a poffibility of procuring, on an emergency, an
Englifh veflel for his Majefly's fervice, to watch the
motions of the Englifh fleets, and to convey
immediate intelligence to Breft, or any other place.
I replied that I thought even this was poffible, pro-
vided a fufficierit fum of money was allowed.
B 2 In
[ 4 ]
In confequcncc of this, he ordered me to return
to England, to make the proper arrangements
there, to fecure a correfpondence in cafe of war,
and to know what would be the amount of the ex-
pences on the firft fetting out, and alfo how much
would be afterwards required, in order to keep up
the fame eftablifhment. He moreover ordered the
fum of 25,000 livres to be paid me immediately,
as a reimburfement of the expences which I had in-
curred in the courfe of the two former journeys.
On my return to England, I imparted to a
friend there, fome of the motives which brought
me back, and requefted his afliftance. He refufed
it, from fear of the bad confequences that might
refult from it, to him and his bufinefs j but he di-
rected me to a perfon who would anfwer my pur-
pofes. With regard to himfelf, he made me pro-
mife never to fay any thing more about it, nor to
mention his narrie in any way whatever.
I went to the perlbn he had pointed out -to
me ; and at the third vifit, under pretence of dif-
ferent matters of bufmefs, I brought him at laft to
the fubject I wifhed -, after which we explained our-
Telves more fully, and foon came to an agree-
ment.
He
( 5 )
He engaged to procure me all that I afked,
if I would pay him immediately a certain
fum of money, and give him, befides, a hundred
pounds fterling every month. This being fettled,
he recommended me to two Portuguefe Jews,
who were let into the fecret, and with whom I left
London, to take a third tour, more important, and
much more hazardous than the two former.
By the affiftance of my guides, and the letters
they had, I formed an acquaintance in every fea
port, with fome officer in the marine department,
in order to render my correfpondence more gene-
ral. They all engaged to fend me once or
twice a week, an exac~b journal of what parted in
the port in which they were employed, as well as
of the orders they might receive ; each making his
own terms according as his ambition led him.
It is proper that I fhould here relate what hap-
pened to me at Plymouth on this third tour. We
got there at midnight, and though I had had no
reft for many days, I did not go to bed, that, at
the break of day, I might be able to reconnoitre th?
fort, which I had not fufHciently examined in my
former journies,
B 3 I took
I took with me a man that I met with upon the
key, and got to the fort a quarter of an hour after
the gates were open. . I patted the two firft fentinels
without interruption j when I got upon the parade,
I turned upon the left, to mount the dope which
leads to the ramparts. I firft of all, went over
every part of the fortifications which command the
country; I then fat down upon the faliant angle of
the baftion, on the right fide of the harbour, where
1 drew the fketches I wanted. An hour afterwards
as I was going to the left baftion ; and as I palled
along the curtain (it is necefiary to notice, that
there was not a fingle fentinel all round the ram-
parts) I was obferved by the fentinel before the
guard-houfe, who, furprifed at feeing two ftrangers
walking upon the rampart fo early in the morning,
went and called out the guard. The ferjeant came
directly to me with two fuzileers. I found it ne-
cefiary to be bold on this occafion, accord-
ingly I went down to meet him as if my walk
was over. We met at the bottom of the fiope.
He afked me, What bufinefs I had in the fort ;
and faid I ought to know that nobody was allowed
to come there. I anfwered, that being a ftranger,
I did not know that ; but that the perfon who
brought me, fhould have told me of it, fince, liv-
ing in the town, he ought to have been acquainted
with the regulations. Seize this r offal, faid the fer-
jeant,
t 7 J
jeant, and take him to the guard-houfe. ^he fol-
diers feized my guide by the collar, and carried him
off. I immediately took ten guineas from my
pocket, and offered them to the ferjeant ; and faid,
Let the poor fellow go, if he has done wrong, it was
certainly without knowing it. He accepted the mo-
ney, and faid to the foldiers, Turn him out, and don't
let him come in any more ; then addreffing himfelf to
me in a milder tone of voice, Perhaps, Sir, you.
wijh to fee the fort, faid he, / am ready to attend you ;
I will juft go and leave my firelock in the guard-houfe,
and come back in a moment. As I did not place much
confidence in what he faid, I put my papers into
the mouth of one of the cannons, which I pretended to
be examining (there were twelve pieces of ordnance
mounted on the parade). However I need not have
fufpected him, for he came back, and went with me fe-
veral times round the fort, and took me down to
the batteries which defend the entrance of the har-
bour, and which are the fineft I ever faw.
I obferved that the walls before the batteries,
for the fpace of fourteen yards, were only raifed
three, four, and five feet high above the rocks upon
which they (land j that thefe rocks, which are very
rugged and broken, flope towards the fea in a de-
clivity of about one foot in every yard - t fo that it
was a ftiore fufficientjy favourable to land men
B 4 upon,
upon, to fcalc the walls, and take poffcflion of the
batteries.
I obferved, befides, that the great gate of the
fort, which leads to the batteries, and through
which five men might walk a breaft, was made of
planks only two inches thick, and that it was fel-
dom fhut.
1 difcovered under the faliant angle of the left
baftion, a poftern-gate, through which there was
a fubterraneous paflage to the fort (this pafiage, as
I afterwards found, is an eafy defcent without fteps).
I took notice, alfo, that the tenaille of the curtain
joined the revetement of the body of the fort j that
it was only twelve feet high, and its platform was
made ufe of for a garden, to which there was a
communication under the curtain, fecured only by
a flight door j that from the tenaille to the top of
the revetement, was only twelve feet, which circum-
ftance made the paflage by thefe fteps a more con-
venient communication, whether that Ihould be
thought better than entering by the gates, or whe-
ther it fhould be determined to make ufe of both
at the fame time.
The water being lower at the end of my furvey,
I had the fatisfa&ion to fee that great boats might
land
[ 9 1
land at low water, upon a fandy bottom, and that
it would be very eafy for men to get up to the
batteries, by means of the rocks, which the waves
had nearly rubbed into fteps.
After having made all my obfervations, I was
fhewn out of the fort, which I had entered at feven
in the morning, and did not quit till four in the
afternoon. The ferjeant accompanied me to the
inn, where I gave him two guineas more for his
trouble. On taking leave of me, he protefted he
ihould be at my difpofal ever afterwards. I muft re-
mark, that I took my papers out of the cannon, as
loon as I perceived that I was in no fort of danger
(it will be feen afterwards, how ufeful this man
was to me, and how faithfully he ferved me).
I found my two Jews very uneafy about me, and
Very much alarmed at fo long a flay. As foon as
we had completed the important objeclr, which
'brought us to Plymouth, we went back to London.
My principal agent had not been lefs active than
myfelf, he had found a captain of a fhip, unem-
ployed, difTatisfied with government, and loaded with
debts, who was prevailed upon to enter into my
fchemes, in confequence of the emolument he would
receive from being appointed commander of the
fhip, which the French Minifter wanted to procure.
As
f 10 ]
As I was not authorifed to enter into any fixed
agreement, I told him, that I could only receive his
propofals, which were the following :
f A privateering vefTel muft be purchafed, which
I will man with 75 failors, or more if neceffary; all
the prizes I fhall take from the Americans ftiall be-
long to me, the French government fliall pay me
800 pounds fterling a month, to defray the expences
of* the crew, and to compenfate me for the rifk I
fhall runs the articles agreed upon to continue in
force for one year, and a fecurity to be given; a confi-
dential perfon to be put on board my fhip, whofe
directions I fhall be bound to follow in all my pro-
ceedings ; I fhall conform entirely to the orders of
the French miniflry ; I fhall expect to be paid the
fame, whether I happen to be in any of the ports of
England, or out at fea ; if war fhould be declared
between France and England, the terms of the agree-
ment fhall remain the fame, and whatever prizes I
take from the French, fhall be divided amongft the
fhip's crew; if, contrary to the promife given, I
fhould happen to be taken by a French vefTel, and
fhould be kept a prifoner in France, rthcy fhall be
bound to make me amends in the fum of 6000
pounds flerling, to be paid in London; but if I am
releafed with my whole crew, they fliall make good
to me, in addition to the ftanding agreement, all the
lofTes I mayfuftain."
The
[ II ]
The only difficulty in thefe propofals, was what
related to the prizes. I told him that the French
Miniftry would never agree to that claufe. He re-
plied, that as he fhould be always guided by their or-
ders, it would be a great chance, if he fhould ever fall
in with any of their veflels; but if that fhould hap-
pen, he thought he could not avoid taking them ; for
otherwife, he fhould be obliged to let his crew into
the fecret, which would inevitably bring him into
very great danger; that, neverthelefs, he would ma-
nage matters as well as he could. I did not think
proper to infill upon this point any longer, and
therefore I prepared to go back to Paris, after hav-
ing taken an account as near as I could guefs, of the
requifite expences for every month; which, includ-
ing the fhip, the agents in the different ports, the pay-
ment of a mefTenger from every port to London (as
we were afraid to truft to the conveyance by the
poft) and from London to Calais, amounted to about
30,000 livres (1250!. fterling).
. On my return to Verfailles, I delivered into the
hands of M. de Sartine, an exad account of all
thefe particulars; he made no objection to the ex-
pences, but pofitively refufed to confent' to the
capturing of veflels. He ordered me to return to
London immediately, to conclude the different ne-
gotiations ; and, at the fame time, furnifhed me
5 with
witH 60,000 livres, with a promife of more when-
ever required.
He moreover ordered me to fSurehafe a veffeJ,
and I immediately returned to England, where I
found my captain had met with a fhipof 14 guns,
which was juft come out of dock. I gave 3j5Ool.
fterling for it; they named it the . I af-
terwards fettled the remainder of the bufmefs on the
the following terms :
To the Captain, for himfelf, his offi-
cers, and crew of 75 men or 70 at leafti
including pay, victualling, and other ex-
pences, inftead of eight hundred pounds a p Qun dsjierL
month, the reduced fum of 750
To the principal Agent in London, who
had the care of receiving the Meflengers 100
To the Agent at Portfmouth 60
Ditto at Plymouth 60
Ditto at Chatham 40
Salaries for four Meflengers, at fifteen
guineas a month each 6b
Pofting expences from Plymouth and
Portfmouth to London, per month 50
Four journies a month, from London to
Calais - 25
Hiring of two packet-boats, per month 12
Renting a houfe in London, my own ex-
pences for living, travelling^ &c. 100
[ J
There were befides two Meflfengers eftablilhed
between Calais and Paris, who were to have 600
livres a year, befides the expences of pofting.
Things being thus fettled, I got a charter-party
figned before notaries in London, in which all the
former conditions were fpecified, excepting that, in-
ftead of the orders of the French Miniftry, my Cap-
tain was to proceed according to my directions and
thofe of my agents, to any port of Europe or Ame-
rica, to which I fhould chufe to fend him, whether
the fh-ip was loaded with goods or not, &c. I
thought this precaution neceflary, as a falvo, in cafe
any fufpicion Hiould arife, efpecially as this agree-
ment was made before hoftilities were commenced
between France and England.
After this, I returned to Paris, without lols of
time, to procure the fum of money I wanted, and to
report to the minifter what I had done. He gave
me a draft for 7000 pounds llerling, after which I
fet out again for London, conformably to his orders,
to haften the fitting out of the fhip. On my re-
turn, my captain told me, that he was intimately ac-
quainted with a certain perfon who belonged to the
miniilry, and if I would let him concert fome plans
with him, he would be anfwerable for the fuccefs of
them.
[ 14 I
them. I advifed him to make the trial, he did fo,
and fuceeeded ; and in return for 150 pounds fterling
which this perfon afked per month, and which I
confented to give, he undertook to fend me a copy
of all the orders received at the Admiralty, and
alfoofall thofe that fhould be iffued from it. My
name was never mentioned in this tran faction, and I
veryfeldom fawthis perfon. To avoid being betrayed,
he never put any thing in writing himfelf, but
agreed, that the captain fhould wait upon him
every day, and read over, and even tranfcribe all the
papers, that he fhould lay upon a particular part of
hisdefk; which was regularly done all die time that
J continued in the fervice of France. When my
captain was at fea, Mr. , formerly governor
of , took upon himfelf the management of this
bufinefs, dividing the profits with the captain. He
alfo did our bufinefs in London, when we were
abfent.
The firft intelligence I received from this perfon
was that orders had been fent to Plymouth, for fit-
ing out twelve fhips of the line, which were to fail
for America, under the command of Admiral
Byron. Thefe orders had been hTued for fome
time, but the deftination of this fquadron had been
kept fo fecret, that no body knew any thing about
it. I received this intelligence forty days before the
fquadron
fquadron fet fail; I immediately difpatched it by a
courier to M. de Sartine, and alfo informed him
how much they were advanced in their preparations,
and which was the day fixed upon for weighing an*-
chor.
The Englifh Miniftry having received informa-
tion, that twenty-five French men of war had fet
fail from Breft, were apprehenfive that it was with a
defign to attack Byron's fquadron ; accordingly or-
ders were difpatched to Admiral Keppel, to leave
Portfmouth with all the fhips he could collect there,
which amounted to twenty; to go in queft of the
French Fleet, watch their motions, and divert their
attention, without however coming to an engage-
ment; and by thefe manoeuvres to give Byron's
fquadron an opportunity of getting out of port.
He was farther enjoined, not to lofe fight of the
French fleet, till Byron was fairly out at fea, when he
was to return again to Portfmouth, and continue his
armament. I added to this intelligence, every cir-
cumftance that could tend to confirm the truth of
it, namely, that Admiral Byron had taken onboard
provifions for feven months, with; a large fupply of
mafts and rigging, and his full complement of men;
whilft Admiral Keppel, on the contrary, was to go
out with twenty fhips, of which, the beft equipped
amongft them, would not have fo many as 600 men,
nor
nor provifions for more than twenty days. I could
fpeak with certainty refpecting thefe two fquadrons,
as I had a lift of every thing that was put on board
each fhip.
The whole of this intelligence, was conveyed a
fecond time to the French Miniftry, twenty days be-
fore the Englifh fleet fet fail j at which time, finding
it a good opportunity, I went over to Verfailles.
Here I gave an account to M. de Sartine of the
new engagements I had made j he approved of them,
and even told me, I might promife the perfon a
penfion from the king, of 600 livres if he proved
faithful*.
After Admiral Keppel had left Portfmouth, in
compliance with the orders which he had received,
and gone in fearch of the French fleet, he fell in
with it at the mouth of the channels as he was ab-
folutely forbid to come to an engagement, he took
care to keep at a proper diftance from it. The two
fleets remained feveral days within light of each
other. The Count d'Orvilliers made no prepara-
tions for an attack, being afraid of having thirty-
two inftead of twenty Ihips againft him, and being
miftruftful of the intelligence I had fent. Whilft
* This penfion was paid for a year, but was (topped at the time
I was put in the Baftiie.
4 the
[ 17-3
the two fleets were watching each other's motions,
Admiral Byron pafTed behind the French fleet, and
got out to Tea -, and as foon as he found himfelf out
of danger, he difpatched a frigate to inform Admiral
Keppel of it j who, therefore, returned to Portf-
mouth to complete his armament, bringing in with
him two French Frigates (the Licorne and the Pal-
las} which were captured in confequence of ven-
turing to reconnoitre him too nearly.
This miftruft was the .caufe why one of the two
fleets was not beaten, and why Admiral Byron wafc
not prevented from proceeding accprding to his def-
tination. This fault was difcovered too late to be re-
trieved. It was orie of the firft that had been com-
mitted during this war, and in its effects it proved to
be one of the molt fatal. There was another almoft
as bad, viz. the ordering of Count d'Eftaing to fail
from Toulon with his twelve fhips j whereas, if he
had gone from Br-eft, he would have got to Ame-
rica a month before the Englilh.
I (lopped only .two days at Verfailles, after which
I came back to London. I found my fhip quite
fitted out, and took the command of her, as.. I did
.not chufe to trull ..it to any body elfe; I failed
from the Thames to Spithead y where I caft anchor
by the fide ofthe English fquadroru
C In
[ i8 ]
In the mean time, the Eaft India Company hav-
ing received intelligence, by means of a frigate,
which was difpatched before them, of the arrival of
their whole fleet; orders were fent to Admiral
Keppel, to fail from Portfmouth as faft as poffible,
in order to join this fleet, to convoy it into port,
and to avoid coming to action, unlefs abfolutely
neceffary in its defence. At the fame time, dif-
patches were fent to the Eaft India fleet, to warn
it of the danger which threatened it, with directions
to keep out at fea, till Keppel fhould join it, and fe-
cure its coming in.
I conveyed this intelligence to Verfailles and to
Breft, by fpeedy meflengers. It was alfo fent to
Count D'Orvilliers, by means of veflels, which were
kept in readinefs for this purpofe.
Keppel fet fail from Portfmouth the loth of July,
with twenty-five fhips of the line, and was joined by
three others as he pafled by Plymouth. I followed
him, and kept fight of him till the 1 9th, when I
tacked about to the weft, to meet with the French
.fleet. On the i ift, being in the latitude 49 degrees
50 minutes, and about 30 leagues to the weft of the
Scilly iflands, I difcovered the French fleet. As I
could not come up to the admiral, on account of
the fqually weather, which had done me fome da-
mage
[ '9 ]
mage, I gave my papers to one of the frigates. The
wind blew fo ftrong from the north- weft, that I
could not help being driven upon the Englifh fleet.
The French fleet was in like manner, obliged to
quit its ftation ; and was driven towards the mouth of
the channel where it fell in with Keppel, who made
no other manoeuvres, but fuch as might enable him
to fail near the wind, for the fake of allowing the
Eaft India Company's fleet, which the wind had
alfo brought near them, to pafs to the leeward j but
on the 27th, when the two fleets came very near to
each other, Count D'Orvilliers gave the fignal for
an attack, which brought on a general engagement,
that continued fome part of the day, after which the
two fleets feparated*.
On the morning of the 28th, the Eaft India Com-
pany's fleet paffed over the place of the engagement,
and entered the channel in fight of fome French
men of war that had been feparated from the reft,
the day before the action. In all probability this
fleet would have been taken, if the French fquadron,
* There was a confufiori in the French line, owing to a miftake
in the fignals; otherwife, in all probability, it would have been a
glorious day for Us, as Count D'Orvilliers manoeuvres were very
judicious.
Ca or
[ so ]
or even a part of it, had kept out at fea twenty-four
hours longer*.
I put into Breft after the fleet, to repair the da-
mages I had fuftained from the ftormy weather. I
kfc that place again on the 2d of Auguft, and came
to anchor at Plymouth ; where I found a part of
the Engliili fquadron had retired.
The feafon being now pretty far advanced, I en-
deavoured to employ my time uJcfuUy in devifing
the ,beft methods for attacking the different ports of
England. I began with Plymouth, and drew a very
minute plan of it, and of its different harbours and
roads, which I founded carefully. I took down me-
morandums of the fame, and then directed my at-
tention to an object of more importance. I had a
trufly perfon, who gave me an exact account of all
that palled in the port; but; this was all the bufmefs
I employed him in. I did not think him capable of
aflifting in any great undertaking, and was afraid
* Count D'Orvilliers was of this opinion, but as he was pre-
vailed upon to fuffer fo many of the (hips, one after the other, to
ge into port in order to refit, he found himfelf at laft almoft entirely
alone. He therefore thought it beft to follow them, and accord-
ingly gave up the purfuit of the Eaft India fleet. It is fomewhat
remarkable, that two-thirds of thefe mips might have been refitted
at fea in four hours time, as was afterwards proved when.they came
into harbour.
Of
[ 21 J
of letting him into the fecret of all my fchemes,
led he Hiould be terrified at them. 1 bethought
myfelf of the ferjeant of the fort, who had been of
fuchfervice to me on my third tour, as a more pro-
per perfbn to lecond my views. As I did not know
his name, nor any perfon, to whom I might apply
for it, none of my people being acquainted with
him; I could not fall upon any other method, but
to walk backwards and forwards in the fort till I
I fhould meet with him; which I did on the third
day. I went up and fpoke to him, and he feemed
very glad to fee me. I told him, I had a fhip lying
in the harbour and begged him to come and pay me
a vifit (he had too much reafon to be fatisfied with
our firft meeting to neglect a fecond). I gave him
the name of the fhip, and we parted. The next morn-
ing he came on board , and after I had regaled him
well, and had made him a prefent of fix bottles
of brandy, which he took away with him, he pro-
mifed to come to me again the next day.
I had been equally afraid to truft my Captain
with 'the new fchemes that I meditated, as I did not
think him daring enough to co-operate with me ;
therefore, as I could not talk on this fubjedt before
him, when the ferjeant came to me the next day, I
went on Ihore with him, under pretence of taking a
C 3 walk
walk. I left the failors to look after the boat and
we walked off.
After a fhort introduction, I talked to him about
his uncomfortable fituation, and offered to make his
fortune, if he would ferye me faithfully. He told
me, I had behaved fo handfomely the firft time he
faw me, that he had been determined ever afterwards
to be at my fervice. I faid, that what I wanted him to
do for me, was rather a delicate matter, and he would
perhaps be alarmed at it, but that with prudence a,nd
good management, the danger might be avoided.
He replied, that he was ready to do any thing that
would oblige me, and that it would not be his fault if
he did not change his fituation for the better. Hav-
ing now brought him to the point I wanted, I ex-
plained rnyfelf fully to him, and let him know that
my plan was to contrive how Plymouth might be
thrown into the hands of the French. He faid, he
had entertained fome fufpicions of the kind the firft
time he faw me, from the manner in which I had
paid him, but that he was terrified at the greatnefs of
the danger. I did not give him time to reflect;
here are fifty guineas for you, faid I, befides what
you fhall afterwards have; the fame fum ihall be
pa\d to you every month, and 10,000 guineas if the
enterprise fucceeds. He had not a word to fay
againft
[ 23 ]
againft fuch an argument. / am entirely at your for-* .
vice 3 Sir } and ready to do whatever you bid me; only
tell me how I muft proceed. Such was his anfwer. I
do not want any thing done for the prefent, faid I ;
this is a fcheme which requires a good deal of
thought, before it can be put into execution; it is
enough for me, that you are in the fort ready to ferve
on any occafion. I then afked him, if he was ac-
quainted with the perfon who had the care of the
fignals, and with the gate-keeper ; he faid he was,
but little acquainted with the former, but that the
latter was his friend. Then faid I, fee and make
lure of him, for we fhall perhaps ftand in need of
him : geV" acquainted alfo with the keeper of the
fignals, and give me an account of the whole when I
come again. I then told him, I was going away in
three days time, and enjoined him fecrecy ; we af-
terwards returned on board the Ihip, from whence
1 fent him back to Plymouth.
My views did not flop here. It was doubtful
whether the ferjeant would be able to bring over the
keeper of the fignals, who might otherwife give the
alarm. I therefore thought of remedying this incon-
venience, by making myfelf mailer of the firft fignal
of the coaft, which in that cafe, would be made to an-
fwer as I fhould direct. I had on board an Italian
failor, called Thomas, whom I had attached to my
C 4 interdl
intereft by kind treatment. I had put his fidelity to
the teft for fome time paft. I had often had an incli-
nation to let him into my fecrets ; the prefent occafion
determined me to do fo. Thomas, faid I, I want to
have at my difpofal the keeper of the firft fignals on
the coaft; you muft leave the Ihip and go to him j I
will furnifh you with money, and you fhall propofe
to live with him j if he gives his confent, you fhall
make yourfclf well acquainted with the fignals, in
order that you may be able to fupply his place, on
emergency. If he be a weak man, and in low cir-
cumftances, you may bring him over ; but if other-
wife, you will eafily contrive to get him out of the
way, at the time he might do us mifchie I lent
him off with thefe directions, and thirty guineas in
his pocket.
When he returned on board two days afterwards,
he told me, that having gone to the fignal keeper as a
deferter of a fhip, and begged him to conceal him in
his houfe, he conferred, upon promife of being well
paid j after which he left him under pretence of going
to Ply mouth/ to change his failor's clothes, and buy
fome others. He added, that as this fignal keeper was
in poor circumftances, he thought there would be
no difficulty in bribing him ; but that at all events,
1 might rely upon him, and that he would get rid
of him whenever I had a mind. This flation being
at
at a confiderable diftance, one might remain there
twelve days, or a fortnight, without being noticed
by any body. Upon telling him that we might
eafily contrive to get rid of the fignal-keeper, if
he could not be brought to comply, he thought
that I meant to have him killed, and therefore he offered
himfelf for this fervice. This was very far from being
my intention ; my defign being only to have him laid
hold of by my people, and carried to France, or to
keep him on board my fhip as long as there fhould
be occafion ; which is what I have done in feveral
cafes.
Having fettled thefe matters, and put every thing
In a proper train, I weighed anchor, and proceeded for
Portfmouth. However, I did not fail directly there,
but fpent fome time, firfl in reconnoitring and found-
ing the harbours and roads of Start -'point and Tor&ay,
and the anchoring places all along the coaft as far as the
Needles ; fo that I became thoroughly acquainted
with them. I then went and anchored beforeTarmoufb,
a fmall town in the JJIe of Wight > within the Needles.
On examining this port, I found that it was only de-
fended by a battery of eight pieces of ordnance up-
on the fhore, and that there was no garrifon. Even
at high water none but fmall veffels could come up,
and at low water the ihore is dry to a confiderable
diftance
diftance from the town. I remained at anchor here
for two days.
I had often pafTed before Hurft Caftle y a fortrefs
built upon a rock ftanding in the fea, and which
confifts of a formidable battery that defends the en-
trance of the Needles. I had not yet had an oppor-
tunity of engaging any body there to afi\ft me in
my plans. As there were fome foldiers there,
though their number was inconfiderable, I did not
think *it would be fafe to repeat the fame experi-
ments I had tried at Plymouth j I therefore altered
my mode of proceeding, and refolved to deceive
both my own people and the garrilbn, by making
both fubfervient to the execution of a fcheme which
I had in my head. It was as follows : I told my
captain that as I was fatisfied with his fervices, I
would put him and the crew in a way of making a
good deal of money ; that for this purpofe we muft
have a landing place upon the coall, and get fome
people on whom we could depend to co-operate
with us. I obferved that Hurft Caftle feemed pro-
per for favouring my plans, and that we muft go
there together, in order to try if we could concert
the proper meafures. Upon his enquiring what
they were, I faid that I had in my poflefiion above
fifty cafks of brandy, a quantity of wines, and other
ftores,
ftores, which fhould be put on board my fhip, and
be brought and depofited there ; I told him that he
fhould have all the profits j that he muft fee and
fettle matters with the garrifon of the fort, in fuch
a manner that they fhould be ready to receive, in
the night time, all the goods we fhould bring. The
captain, who always liftened with delight whenever
any profpeft of gain was held out to him, came
into my plan. We went to the fort, and without
much ceremony, made our propofals to an officer
of the garrifon. He called together fome others,
and ftated to them, that a fmuggling veflel (for I
had called my fhip fuch) propofed to depofit her
cargo in the fort, and to divide the profits with
them j that the goods would never be left longer
than four days, which was the time that would be
required for fending advice to the merchants, who
were to take them away. This was eafily fettled.
It was agreed that they fhould be paid four guineas
in ready money, for every calk of wine or brandy that
fhould be left with them, and fo in proportion for other
goods. 4-fter this point was fettled, we determined
upon the fignals by which my veffel fhould be
known. It was farther agreed upon, that I fhould
never come but in the night time, and at high water,
when they would be prepared to receive me. I
left them, faying it would not be long before they
would fee me again.
On
On my return to Yarmouth, I weighed anchor
and went to Cowes, where I had been told there
was a fmall fbrtrefs. I found it to be a battery of
eight piqces of cannon, planted in the form of a
horfe fhoe, with only a woman there, who ferved
as a keeper of this fharn fortrefs. There were fixty
militia- men in the town. Cowes harbour, though
fmall, is not a bad one ; it will admit of very large
men of war to anchor in, and at the time we
were there, they were building a 64 gun fhip.
J went from thence to Newport, the capital of the
ifiand, a fmall unfortified town, about fix miles
from the feaj there were 250 foldiers there, which,
together with the two batteries and the fixty militia-
men juft mentioned in the town of Cowes, made
up the whole force of the ifland.
. After having remained two days in this harbour,
I went to Spithead, and anchored in the midft of
the Englifh fleet, that I might examine Portf-
mouth. When I had compleated my plans, I de-
termined to go to France, and give an account of
what I had done to the minifter*.
* I take no notice of my furvey of Portsmouth, as that would
lead me into long and tedious defcriptions ; fuffice it to fay, that
this, as well as the other Englifh ports, were examined with the
fame care as Plymouth.
I had
I had on board feven large cafks of brandy, and
about twelve of wine, that I had taken in at
Breft, with which I meant to put to the teft
my friends at Hunt Caftle ; accordingly I failed
round the ifland, and appeared there again fix days
after I had left it. I made the fignals agreed upon,
and they were anfwered. In the mean time I tack-
ed about to fea, till night came on. About ten
o'clock, a little before high water, I came in and
anchored near the fort, and went afhore in one of
the boats, whilft they loaded the long boat. In
Ids than two hours, twelve cafks were conveyed
into the fort, where I followed with fome of my
men. After drinking a glafs together, we parted.
I repeated this experiment three times afterwards
with the fame fuccefs ; and my failors, who en-
tered the fort, always out-numbered the garrifon.
After having thus difpofed matters to infure the
fuccefs of any attempts, we might think of, to fur-
prife the enemy, I fleered for France, landed near
Havre de Grace, and went from thence to Ver*
failles, having ordered my Fnip to go and wait for
me in the Thames. I delivered into M. de Sar-
tine's hands the memorandums I had made of all
my proceedings, and he gave an account of them to
the king, who gracionfly prefented me with a com-
mifiion of captain of horfe, dated the 3 ift of Auguft,and
i alfo
[ 30 ]
alfo with a penfion of ten thoufand livres, the pa-
tent for which I have by me *.
The minifter approved of all my proceedings,
and provided for the cncreafmg expences, which
amounted to three hundred pounds fterling per
month. As I had agreed with all my agents for a
whole year, I begged M de Sartine to fupply me,
at once, with the fum total of the expences ; re-
prefenting to him that by that means I ftiould be
able to make a good deal of money by different
fpeculations in trade, which would not interfere
with my principal bufinefs, and would ferve to con-
ceal the motives of certain meafures which I was
obliged to tranfacl: openly. He confented to what
I afked, and accordingly ordered me to be paid the
fuqn of 14,000 pounds fterling, which was pretty
nearly the balance of the whole expences he had fix-
ed for the year. He afterwards inftru&ed me
how to proceed with my agents, and mentioned
what he wanted to know of the fecrets of the
cabinet ; after which I returned to London,
where 1 arrived on the 1 2th of September. My
firft care was to fee how each of my agents went
on. At Plymouth I found the fignal and gate-
keepers in my intereft, and I allotted them twenty-
* I only received this penfion for the firft four months, and no
more of it was paid me ever afterwards.
five
[ 3' ]
five pounds fterling a month. My man Thomas
was appointed to the care of the firft fignal on the
coaft j it was left entirely to him, and he gave me
a particular defcription of all the fignals. The
ferjeant afiured me that in cafe of attack, he would
take upon him to anfwer for the great gate, which
leads to the batteries, being open, as well as the
poftern-gate at the angle of the baftion, through
which the troops might pafs one after the other j
that moreover he would nail up all the cannons, as
I had hinted to him. I paid each of them what they
were to receive, and prepared to go to Briftol, and
from thence to Ireland.
Before I fet out, I heard that eight merchant vef-
fels, which had been taken from the French, were
to be fold by auftion, and that a good deal might
be got by purchafmg them. I directed my princi-
pal agent to buy them for me in his name*; and I
then fet out for Briftol and Ireland. I vifited the
different ports of this kingdom where the tranfports
* They were bought for me at the fnm of aaool. fterling, and
were afterwards fent to London, under the care of my failors.
Government, who were at that time in want of mips, purchafed
them for the fum of 6400!. fterling.
No Englifhman could have tranfacled this bufinefs with fuch fuc-
eefs, for he would have been obliged to have had the mips infured,
and could not have got a fufficicnt number of failors. I gained
by this tranfaction a hundred and five thoufand livres.
afiembled,
aflembled, and I perceived that all of them were
equally open to be attacked j I took a particular
account of them, and lent it to M. de Sartine. I
returned afterwards to London, to fuperintend the
different tranfa<5tions. I was taken ill there, and
laid up for about a month, probably in confequence
of the fatigues I had undergone for a twelvemonth
pail. It was in the courie of this expedition, that
I had an opportunity of being of ufe to Mr. ,
a marine officer, in the following manner :
He had been fent over to England on a fecret
affair by M. de Sartine. While he was at Ply-
mouth, fome people who had known him as a pri-
foner during the laft war, recollected him again j
and upon his going from thence to another port,
they fent people after him to keep an eye upon him.
Whiift he was making his obfervations, he perceiv-
ed that he was watched, and accordingly with-
drew; when he heard them fay, He is a French ffy,
m officer of the marine. As foon as he came to the
inn where he lodged, he went up flairs into his room,
and heard the mob cry out, He is ajpy y well take
him and have him hanged. As the landlord would
not fuffer them to come into his houfe to feize him,
they were obliged to go to the magiftrates for a war-
rant. This took up fome time, and at twelve
o'clock at night he was ftill at liberty. About this
hour
C 33 ]
hour I got to the inn where the tranfaftion happen-
ed, aad was a little furprifed that they were not gone
to bed. The landlord, who was a friend of
mine, took me afide, and in a few words told me
the whole affair. I went immediately to the har-
bour, and ordered a veffel that I had there to loofe
anchor, and to get ready for failing. I ordered
them at the fame time to fend the boat on Ihore;
and then returned to the inn, and went up (lairs to
the French officer, who was in great anxiety. I
bid him muffle himfelf up in my cloak and follow
me, which he did without hefitation. We made
our way out without being noticed by any body,
on account of the obftruction at the door; from
my carriage, which I had ordered to remain
there on purpofe. I took him on board my fhip,
which was juft on the point of failing. The next
day we got to Calais, where I learnt his name and
his rank. He acknowledged that he was indebted
to me for his life. Two days afterwards 1 came
back again to the fame port, and found they were
quite puzzled to know how the French officer had
made his efcape. I thought it my duty to fave, at
my own peril, a countryman, whofe diftrefled fitua-
tion I knew, and whom I fuppofed to have been
fent on fome fecret bufmefs by the minifter. At
different times, I got fhipped off above 300 French
failprs or officers, who had made their efcape from
D prifon,
[ 34 ]
prifon, and fupplied them with as much money as
they had occafion for, without ever applying to
government, or any perfon, for reimburfement.
Upon finding that three hundred fail of merchant
fhips had rendezvouzed in the Downs, I informed
the miniiler of it, adding the place to which they
were bound, the courfe they were to fleer, and the
numbers of their convoy. I alfo fent him word
that if he thought proper, I would fet out two
days before the fleet, and convey intelligence to
Breft, provided he would have a fquadron there
ready to intercept it j which he complied with.
: After we had got beyond Portland, there came
on fuch a terrible fquall, that the Ruflel, a 74 gun
ihip, ran foul of the London of 50, which wa
iplit in two, and went down inftantly j however,
about 45 of the crew were faved. Two frigates,
and another veflel, were difmafted, and obliged to
put back into Portfmouth. My Ihip had her main
maft broken, her fails torn away, and was driven
out to fea. On the 31 ft, when I approached the
coaft for the purpofe of flickering myfelf from the
ftormy weather, which ftill continued, we were
furprifed by one of the moft dreadful gufts of wind
ever known in the memory of man, by which
our fhip was driven alhore, and ftruck. Half of
[ 35 3
our crew perifhed*; above fixty veflels fliared the
fame fate, in this unfortunate night.
I fent my captain to London, with all the men
that were faved. When I got there myfelf, the
firft thing I fet about, was the purchafing of another
fhip, which was the , mounting ten guns,
for which I gave 2500!. fterlingi, I fent M. de
Sartine word of the misfortune which had happened
to me, and of the new purchafe that I had made.
He remitted me 4000!. ilerling to make good my
lofles,
I lhall now give a ftatement of the monies I re-
ceived from government, during the year 1778,
as alfo of the expences which I had been at, to
the i ft of January, 1779; together with the ftate
of my own finances at this period.
* The head of our fhip ftruck on the fends, and remained fixed
in that lituation ; ten failors were thrown over board by the fhock ;
twenty-two others, who attempted to fave themfelves in the boat,
were loft in confequence of overloading it. I remained with the reft
of the crew, clinging to the fore-part of the fhip, till the next day,
when fome people were able to come to our affiftance. The fhip
was mattered to pieces foon after we quitted it. I loft by this ac-
cident 32 men, and about 6ool. fterling, which I had on board.
D a A general
[ 36 ]
A general recapitulation of the f urns of money paid by
government, from the month of April, 1778, to
the \ft of January, 1779, 'viz.
French livres,
The firft Turn of money which I received
from M. de Sartine, and which I have
not mentioned before, amounting to 5000
-The fecond, at the time of my third jour-
ney to England, amounting to 25,000
The third, amounting to -*~ 6000
The fourth, viz. 7000!. fterling, or 168,000
The fifth, being the balance of the ex-
pences for the whole year, paid at once
by the minifter, viz. 14,000!. fterling,
or 33^,000
Laftly, the 4000!. fterling, remitted me in
London, for making good the loftes I
had fuffered by the ihip wreck . 96,000
Sum total of receipts, 28,750!, fterl. or 690,000
Ageneral
t 37 ]
A general recapitulation of the money laid out on the
King's account, during the year 1778, to the ift of
January, 1779, w ' 2r *
French Hires.
Expences incurred during the three journies
in England, including the fums of mo-
ney advanced to the different agents, at
the time of fettling the agreements with
them, travelling expences, &c. all which
were approved at the time by M. de
Sartine, amounting to 65,000
The fum given for the , my firfl
fhip, viz. 3500!. flerling, or 84,000
The expences amounted, according to our
firft calculation, to 1257!. flerling per
month ; there was an addition to them
of 300!. flerling the next month, which
raifed them to 1557!. flerling -, the
whole amounting, at the monthly rate of
37,368 livres, for feven months, begin-
ning from the firfl of June 1778, to. 261,576
Goods, and nearly 6ool. flerling, loft on
board the , my firft fhip, at the
time of the fhipwreck, amounting in all
to 15,000
Purchafe of the , my fecond fhip,
viz. 2500!. flerling, or 60,000
Carried over, 485,576
[ 38 ]
French livres.
Brought over, 485,576
Sums paid to the two Calais meffengers for
feven months wages, at the rate of 600
livres a year for each, amounting to 1,700
Travelling expences to Verfailles and to
Breft, from the i ft of June 4,poq
To two horfes killed and one injured by
the mefiengers 2,000
To fixty guineas, of which a meflenger was^
robbed as he was carrying it to pay one
.of the agents ^ 1,440
Sum total of difburfements, viz. \
"20,57 il. I os. fterling, or J 493>7 ^
Which being deducted from the fum total
of the money received, viz. 28,750!.
fterling, or 690,000
There remained to me in hand, due to
the king's account, on the ift of Ja-
nuary, 1779, the fnm of 8178!. i os.
fterling, or 196,284
ProgreJ/ive
C 39 3
Progreffive ftatement of my own finances, and of the
means which I employed to improve them.
French livres,
By the purchafe which I made of the fix
fhips at Plymouth, for the fum of
2,200!. fterling, and which were after-
wards fold in the Thames for 6,400!,
fterling, I gained 4,200!. fterling, or 105,600
I had fhares in fix privateers, which were
fitted out in the Thames at the fame
time with my firft fhip. Each of thefe
fhares coft me 400!. fterling, amount-
ing in the whole to 2,400!. fterling. Two
of thefe privateers were taken after they
had each made a rich prize j the four
others took feven prizes, amongft which
were two fhips belonging to the French
Eaft-India Company. By all thefe
prizes, added together, after deducting
the original coft of the fhares, I gained
the fum of 10,200!. fterling, or 244,809
I had exchanged 1 8,000 louis d'ors for the
fame number of guineas, in France ;
and as the exchange upon each guinea
was 26 fous (i3d.) in my favour at
London, I gained in the whole loool.
fterling, or - 24,000
Carried over,
[ 40 3
French I'rvret
Brought over, 373>4OO
I received as conditional premiums of in-
furance (in cafe of capture by the Eng-
lilh) upon fix Ihips belonging to the
French Eafl-India Company, the fum
of 3000!. fterling, at the rate of 500!.
for each j four of them were taken and
brought into England. I returned the
money which I had received upon the
two others, and there remained a ba-
lance in my favour of 2,000!. fterling, or* 48,000
A fhip, called the Iwo Sifttrs, of 400 tons
burden, valued at 20,000!. fterling,
which was known to have been out at
fea for three months, and fuppofed to
be loft, was offered to be infured
at 60 per cent. I was therefore tempted
to take a concern in it. This bufmefs
dwelt upon my mind the whole night,
and in my dream I thought I faw the
vefTel arrive : in the morning, what had
occurred to me in my fleep, tempted me
Carried over, 421,400
* They had received in England an account of the names and
value as nearly as could be, of all the French Eaft-lndia Company's
veflels. It was alfo known that they were near home ; all the pri-
Tateers which hoped to make prizes of them, infured them againft
reprifals, and thofe who took no prizes, received back their pre-
' [ 4' ]
French I'mres,
Brought over, 421,400
to take the whole infurance upon my-
felf. I received for it 1 2,oool. fterling.
The fliip came home five days after-
wards, fo that in confequence of rifking
the lofs of 1 92,000 livres. I gained 288,000
I had infured fix months fuccefiively, the
my firft fhip, valued at 4,000!. fter-
ling at the rate of five per cent, every
month; this infurance coft me 1,200!.
fterling ; when my fhip was loft, there
came to me 4,000!. fterling, by which
after deducing what I had paid, I
gained a profit of 2,800!. fterling, or 67,200
As I was informed of the taking of the ifland
of Dominica, before it was known in
London, I had an opportunity of gain-
ing in the funds 2,000!. fterling, or 48,000
Sum total of my profits, made as before
ftated 34,400!. fterling, or 825,600
I lent out 250,000 livres on bonds. A iliort
time afterwards, I purchafed a houfe at Paris for
70,000 livres, I fpent about 50,000 livres in fur-
nifhing it, and in buying horfes. Independent of
the money belonging to government, I kept in
hand
[ 4* ]
hand 18,750!. flerling, or 450,000 livres to make
farther fpeculations, as I had hitherto fucceeded
fo well.
At different times I had given in to M. de Sar~
tine, a ftatement of the feveral fums of money I had
gained, together with the means which I had made
ufe of to acquire them. He was always fo good as
to exprefs his approbation.
So great an increafe of fortune in fo fhort a time,
might not have been believed, if I had not pointed
out the manner in which it was made. I may add,
that if my only object had been to acquire wealth,
I could eafily have doubled my fortune in the moft
fair and jujltfiabk manner; and that I omitted
many opportunities of engaging in very benefi-
cial affairs/ left they fhould have interfered with the
more important concerns, with which I was charged
by government : the fpeculations I did make, were
quite accidental, and fuch as I could undertake
without much trouble. *
In order to prove what I advance, I fliall give a
particular account of one occurrence, which held out
to me a gain of 600,000 livres (25,000!. ftcding).
I have now by me all M. de Sartine's letters, which
confirm the truth of it, and it will be feen from
what
[ 43 ]
what confcientious motives I declined to take ad-
vantage of it. The a Ihip of 600 tons, and
32 guns, had been fent into the Levant by a com-
pany of Englifh merchants, to be freighted with
filks and other Afiatic commodities. She corn-
pleated her lading in the European ports, and had
proceeded to Port Mahon, where ftie waited a con-
voy to England, but in vain, as no Englifh man of
war arrived during the five months that Ihe remained
there. The freighters of the Ihip being aware of
the great injury they would fuffer from her long
delay, and concluding that moft of the goods would
be fpoilt by being kept fo long in the fummer time
in a warm climate, had recourfe to a fraud, by
which they expected to make as much money as if
the fhip had really arrived at home, with all her
cargo in good condition, viz. they were to infure
upon bills of lading amounting to double the value
of the cargo, and afterwards to caufe her to be taken
by the French in order to conceal their villany.
Accordingly they applied to an infurance com-
pany in London, and entered the cargo at the value
of 2,000,000 of livres (83,333!. 6s. 8d.) which, to-
gether with the premium, that they likewife in-
fured, amounted to 2,500,000 livres. They im-
mediately fent advice to the captain of the Ihip,
who had himfelf a confiderable lhare in the cargo,
to
[ 44 ].
to fail from Minorca and to proceed to England,
with fecret inilruftions to let himfelf be taken.
The freighters of the fhip, having received informa-
tion that two men of war, the and the
were fitting out at Toulon, and that they were to
join the fleet at Breft, calculated fo nicely the time
for the failing of the , that Ihe left Port Mahon
almoftatthe fame time that the two French (hips
failed from Toulon, and manoeuvered fo well, that
fhe was taken before fhe got to the Streights.
In the mean while, a few days after the infurance
had been made in London, one of the partners in the
infurance-company, got intelligence of the real value
of the ,whofe cargo amounted to only i , 1 00,000
livres, which added to the value of the fliip, might
amount to about 1,200,000 livres (50,000!. ilerl.)
he was likewife informed of the fchemc to get the
veffel taken, and of the orders which had been feist
for this purpofe to Minorca; but the matter was
without remedy, for if the was taken, they
could not, in that cafe, profccute the freighters for
want of fubftantial proofs againft them.
I had pretty large concerns with this infurance-
company, fo that I was well known to them. They
therefore applied to me to get them out of the fcrape,
and offered in cafe the fhould be taken, to
i give
[ 4$ 1
give me 1,800,000 French livres, provided I would
engage to bring her to them, with every thing on
board untouched. The defign of the infurance-
company, was to revenge themfelves of the fraud,
or at leaft to leffen their lofies. Indeed, if the
was taken by the French without the infurers be-
ing able to prove for certain, the ftate of the cargo,
as happens in fimilar cafes, they would then be
obliged tq pay the freighters 2,500,000 livres
(104,166!. 135. 4d.) whilft, on the other hand, if
the fliip was brought home, with all its cargo un-
touched, the freighters in that cafe would have
no claims upon the company, and the infurers in-
ftead of paying 2,500,000 livres, would only have
to pay 1,800,000 livres, which would be a faving
to them of 700,000 livres.
In confequence of this, the infurers put into my
hands an exa<5t ftatement of the amount of the
's cargo. I accepted the propofal, and we en-
tered into an agreement, that, provided I fhould
fucceed in bringing the fhip into England, after fhc
was taken, they fhould pay me the fum above men-
tioned.
1 thought this a matter of fufficient confequence,
for a journey from London to Verfailles; where I
gave an account to M. de Sartine of the bufmefs,
and
[ 46 ]
and offered in cafe the fhip fliould be taken, to de 1 -
pofite the fum of 1,200,000 livres in payment,
both of the third which belonged to the king, and
qf the two thirds to be divided amongft the captors,
provided the minifter would caufe the fhip to be
delivered up to me, to bring her to England. M.
de Sartine had too much confidence in me, to think
that I would deceive him with regard to her real
value; he readily came into my plan, by which 1
was likely to gain 600,000 livres without any lofs
to the king, or to the crew of the two fhips that
might take her; he even was at the trouble to in-
form the captains of the two fhips of my propofals.
About a fortnight afterwards, the minifter re-
ceived advice that the fhip in queftion was taken by
the , and brought into Malaga. He fent me
advice of it, and told me to depofite my money at
the hofpital of Toulon, and that he would after-
wards fend an order from the king to get the vef-
fei releafed, together with a paflport to carry her
fafe to England. I had not fo much money in my
pofieffion, but I got enough remitted to me from
London, to complete the fum. In the mean time,
M. de Sartine received an anfwer to the letter he
had fent, dating that the crew of one of the ftiips
accepted my offers, but that thofe of the other re-
fufed them, alledging, that the prize was worth above
two
[ 47 ]
two millions of French livres. No doubt the cap-
tain of the prize fhip was confuked about this va-
luation j it was his intereft to prevent the fhip from
being returned to England, becaufe he had a ihare
in the profits arifmg from the fraud ; he therefore
perfuaded the French officers that Ihe was worth
twice as much as I had offered. M. de Sartine
who few the matter in its proper light, was upon
the point of interpofmg his authority to fettle the
affair, which he might have done with the more
propriety, as he was entitled in the king's name, to
one- third of the profits arifmg from the capture, and
as the crew of one of the Ihips had agreed to our
firft valuation for their third, but I forefaw the dif-
content which this would infallibly excite arnongft
the crew of the other fhip, and I was afraid they
would accufe the miniiler of having injured them
for my advantage. I therefore took the liberty to
tell him of this, and gave up the matter entirely.
However, the crew had no reafon to be fatisfied
with their own conduct ; for about a month after-
wards, when the goods were taken out of the fhip
in order to be fold, moft of them were found to be
fo fpoiled, that they did not fell for 500,000 livres
(20,833!. 6s. 8d.) and that upon credit. Thus
the crew loft 800,000 livres (33,333!. 6s. 8d.)
ready money; I miffed the opportunity of gaining
600,000 livres, and the infurance company in Lon-
don
[ 48 J
don loft all. Laftly, the Minifter in order to put
me in a way of ferving myfelf, whilft I ferved the
king, granted me a very unufual favour, which was
paflports for two Englilh veflels, by means of which
I Ihould be enabled to carry on trade without any
rifk. I ihall here fbbjoin a copy of the letter dated
Verfailles, the 3oth of July 1778, which he did me
the honour to write to me on this fubjedt.
" I acquaint you, Sir, that his Majefty is dif-
poied to grant yon, according to, your requeft, the
paflports for the two Englilh veffels, which may
load at one or more Englilh ports, to go to the
French colonies, or to any of our ports in the Me-
diterranean. As it is neceiTary that the paflports
Ihould contain the names of the captains and vef-
fels, and the number of men on board, and how
many tons burden, you will be fo good as to fend
me thefe particulars, that 1 may get the paflports
made out." I have the honour to be &c.
(Signed) DE SARTINE.
It may eafily be conceived what immenfe advan-
tages I might have derived from fuch an act of
favour if I had chofen to make ufe of it during the
war; but that would have required more attention
than the bufmefs which I had to tranfact for the
king (whom I thought entitled to the preference)
permitted
t 49 ]
permitted me to give; and luckily for me, fortune
threw in my way readier methods, and fuch as were
adequate to my ambitious views.
At the end of January 1779, I left the Thames
with the intention of joining a fleet of merchant-
men, which were waiting for a convoy in the Downs;
but as they were not yet ready to fail, I went and an-
chored at Spithead. The whole Englifh fleet were
laying there at anchor, in no order. The trial of
Admiral Keppel which happened foon afterwards,
encreafed a kind of defertion of the fhips, as the
principal officers were upon the court-martial; I got
in at night and anchored in the midft of the fleet,
without exciting the leaft fufpicion. This circum-
flance, put into my head a fcheme, which I haftened
to communicate to the minifter; and therefore failed
to France. I propofed to him to fit out two fire
fhips at B reft, with all expedition, which I would
bring into Portfmouth along with my fhip as two
prizes; thatwhilft I entered with one of thefe fire-
fhips by Spithead, the other fhould pafs by the
Needles^ and get in during the night at the turn of
the tide ; that the fleet fhould be fet on fire at each
end at the fame time, which would infallibly con-
fume the whole. I added, that the leaft that could
happen to thofe fhips that fhould not be burnt,
E -would
[ 50 ]
vrould be their running a-ground; fmce it being
in the middle of the night, they could only cut
their cables, and then they would be wrecked
before they could unfurl their fails to manage the
fhips as the anchorage at Spithead was narrow, and
would not admit of their being either carried out
by the tide, or failing out in the night without danger.
I engaged to take the direction of one of the fire-
fhipsj and my captain agreed to take charge of the
other, upon condition that he fhould be paid 25,000!.
fterling, and have a penfion fettled upon him by
the king, of 1 2,000 livres, to be paid in France,
where he was afterwards to live. I moreover pro-
pofed to the minifter to get another veflel fitted out
with 200 foldiers to land, under convoy of two fri-
gates and a man of war, and take pofTeffion at the
fame jjime of the fortrefs of Hurft-Caftle, which
commands the paflage of the Needles.
*
M. de Sartine approved of the fcheme, and fent
orders to Breft, for fitting out two large 'fire-fhips.
He ordered me to conceit the necefiary arrange-
ments for facilitating the taking of Plymouth by
furprife, in cafe they Ihould be inclined to make
die attempt, at the fame time, that they were pro-
ceeding againft the Englifti fleet. He confirmed
the promifes that I had made to my captain, and
fome
[ 5- ]
fome officers, who were not to receive their re-
wards but in cafe of fuccefs.
I returned and embarked near Havre, where my
fhip was waiting for me. She had been loaded
with brandy in my abfence, according to my di-
rections. I appeared the next day at the entrance
of the Needles, and in the evening I unloaded all the
goods I had on board, in the fort, with as little fuf-
picion, and as mucheafe, as! had done before.
The whole merchant fleet that had rendezvouzed
in the Downs, together with that of the Eaft India
Company, being upon the point of failing, I fent
intelligence of it to M. de Sartine, who ordered a
fquadron to be in readinefs at Breft, to intercept it.
In the mean time I was called up to London, by
a very difagreeable occurrence. I had loaded with
goods for Breft, a Spanifh. veffel of 200 tons bur-
den; I was to freight her for three months at the
rate of a lool. fterling per month; the captain had
bound himfelf by the charter-party, to touch at all
the ports that I chofe to fend him to, in the courfe of
his voyage from London to Spain, on being paid
three louis-dors a day, for every time he fhould put
into harbour. I commiffioned a banker in London,
upon whom I thought I could rely, to fee the cargo
E 2 com-
compleated. She was loaded with forty tons of
beer, forty tons of copper, and the reft in lead:
every ton of copper put on board, coft me 2000
livres ; the king paid at Breft about 5000 livres
for it ; fo that upon the forty tons, I Ihould have
gained a profit of 1 20,000 livres (5000!.) It was
a good fpeculation, but attended with rifk, fmce
there then was a prohibition, under a very heavy
penalty, againft exporting from England Iheet-
copper for the purpofe of ftieathing fhips, which
flill continues. I was obliged to tell my banker
and the Spanifh captain, where the fnip was in-
tended to go. The lading was put on board,
whilft I was out upon my laft journey to Paris.
On my return to Portfmouth, I received advice
from the Admiralty , that the Spanilh captain had
told them, that the fhip was freighted for Breft.
His obje<5t in this information was to get the cargo
forfeited, and come in for a iliare of it. The perlbn
at the Admiralty who was in my intereft, fent an ex-
prefs to me, to come up to London immediately,
in order to avert the danger which threatened me.
Very luckily, I loft no time, for if I had ftaid a day
longer, I Ihouid have been too late. I applied to
my banker, who had fhipped the goods (he was to
go fhares in the profits arifing from the cheat, as
I afterwards found) I offered to let the bills of lad-
ing go under his name, or to fell him the goods.
He
[ 53 ]
He preferred this laft propofal, upon terms very
difadvantageous to me , but as there was no time to
lofe, I complied wilh every thing he chofe j I loft
25,000 livres upon the original cofl, and I was be-
fides forced to pay all the expences of unloading
and moving the goods, together with the freight of
the vefiel, the fame as if fhe had gone her voyage.
I loft by this adventure about 2000 louis dors, in-
ftead of gaining 6000, which I fhould have done,
if I had not had to deal with a couple of knaves.
A few days after I received another check, which
occafioned me lefs lofs, but more alarm. When I
went from Portfmouth to London, I had ordered
my captain to go and wait for me at Margate^
where I was to join him again j he went there, and
the day that I arrived, I found him upon fhore,
with fome people belonging to the fhip, who had
come to meet me. It was night and we all fiept on
ihore. About two o'clock in the morning, I was
awakened by the captain, who entered my room,
in his fhirt, with a candle in his hand, and came up
to my bed, faying to me in a low voice : Count ^ we
are undone, there is a Jiate-meJJeriger In my room y who
is juft arrived, be is writing Jomething, find will appre-
hend you in a minute. I am arrefted, Jee here are my
guards. What, faid I, we are betrayed then ? It mujl
3 be
[ 54 ]
le Jo, faid he : I got cut of bed to drefs myfelf,
frightened, as was natural in fuch a fituation. Per-
haps, there is a chance of getting out of this fcrape,
faid the captain, 1 know the ftate-mejfengcr, he is a
great friend of the governor's Stop a moment ',
while 1 go and Jpeak to him. In two minutes, he
came back to tell me, that it 'was in my power tojave
us both, that the me/finger demanded a thoujaud pounds
fterling, that he would then fay that he had miffed us,
and that we were got out tofea, at the time he arrived.
A thoujand pounds, faid I, hejhallhave the money, and
immediately put into his hands two bank notes, of
500!. each; in confequence of which the meflenger
went away. We immediately drefled ourfelves,
and, without lofs of time, repaired to the fhip. Be-
fides this, I was obliged to give a few guineas to the
pilot, in order to prevail upon him to weigh an-
chor, as it was night*. A couple of days after-
wards, we anchored in the Downs. I thought ic
would be bed to put out to fea ; but my captain
* All forts of fhips and vefiels whatever, are obliged to take up
a pilot, when they enter the Thames, or go from London ; from
the moment he gets on board, he is mafter, if he has a mind to
flop, the captain has it not in his power to force him to go on; he
has half a guinea for every foot of water which the veflel draws ;
if the fliip is wrecked, or me fuffers any injury, the company of
pilots is refponfible, which is the reafon, why they very feldom
fail in the river during the night.
infiftcd
I 55 ]
infifted upon flaying with the fleet there, affuring
me that we had nothing more to fear *.
The fleet of merchant fhips having received or-
ders to depart, I fet fail, and got to the mouth of
the channel, twenty-four hours before them. I fell
in off Ufhant with a fleet of French merchantmen,
coming from St. Domingo, part of which were
fleering to Havre and St. Malo, whither they were
bound: there came on a dead calm here, which
kfted for three days. The force of the current drove
down upon me two of thefe fhips, each 500 tons
burden. I hailed them, and warned them of the
danger they were in, advifing them to tack about
and put into B reft. I fpoke to five of them in this
manner, one after the other; they anfwered they
would follow my advice, and the reft of the fleet
iliould do fo alfo. I flrove as much as I could to
get into Breft, during the calm, but I found it irn-
poflible, notwithflanding the lightnefs of my fhip.
This was a lucky circumftance for the French vef-
* He was very fure of it, for it was orjy a trick which he had
played to rob me of the money. One of his friends was the
pretended ftate-mefTenger, as I was informed two months after-
wards by a nephew of his, whom he had ufed ill, and who, to be
revenged of him, came and told me of the fraud, in which he had
borne a part. I never once fpoke to his uncle about it, being
afraid, that when he found hiinfelf detected, he would be induced
to play me fome worfe tricks.
E 4 fcls,
t 56 ]
fels, for when the calm was over, inflead of follow-
ing my advice, they failed for the channel. ' I was
fo vexed at their bad conduct, that I fired a broad
fide upon each, which forced them to change their
courfe. Two amongft them, of 500 tons bur-
then, that had got farther up the channel than the
reft, ran a-ground in attempting to fave thein-
felves. I wounded fome of their men, and forced
the others to enter Breft, by the paiTage du Four.
In pafiing before Berthaume, I fell in with two
frigates as they v/ere coming out of the Gullet. I
threw out the fignal for fpeaking. They laid to,
and faid they were fent out in purfuit of a privateer,
that committed great ravages on their coafc. Upon
telling them that I was the privateer they were in
purfuit of, they caft anchor. After I had brought
my (hip into the harbour, I went to Count d'Or-
villiers to inform him of the failing of the Englilh
fleet of merchantmen, of the courfe they were to
fteer, and of the different places of rendezvous. He
fent out a fquadron of fix men of war and feveral
frigates to cruife in the latitude in which the Eng-
lilh convoy, were to leave the fleet under their
care.
Information was received about a fortnight after-
wards, that whilft the fquadron from Breft, was
cruifing in the latitude above mentioned 5 the fleet
of
t 57 1
of Englifh merchantmen pafled fo near them at ten
o'clock at night, as to difcover by their lights who
they were ; in confequence of which, they crowded
fail and changed their courfe. In the morning, at
the break of day, the French fquadron defcried
three fhips lagging behind, which they took, and
learnt from them that they were a part of a large
fleet of merchantmen, which were only convoyed
by a fingle man of war. If the French fquadron
had got there two hours later in the evening, or the
Englifh fleet two hours fooner, they would proba-
bly have been all taken 5 but no body was to blame
for this.
I fhall now return to what relates to myfelf. I
was on board an Englifh privateer, well armed
and manned with failors, who were determined to
rifk every thing to make a bold ftroke. Five or
fix merchant fhips, were a fine fight to them. It
would have been an eafy matter for me to have
manned three of them, and to have ranfomed the
reft, as the Englifli fleet was fo near that I could
not fail of falling in with it in four hours time.
During the courfe of a week that I continued in the
midfl of thefe fhips, I came up to two of them,
fpoke a long time with them, by which they per-
ceived my crew were Englifh. They confeffed
that if I had ordered them to ftrike, they would
have
have done it without making any refiftance. I had
letters of marque, and could therefore have made
prizes of thefe fhips ; but I prevailed upon my
crew to let them go, upon promifmg each of them
ten pounds fterling, as foon as we fhould get into
Breft. Some of them, however, were not fatisfied
with this, but my captain fhewed great firmnefs on
this occafion, threatening to knock the firft man
on the head who fhould make any difturbance about
it, which made them quiet.
I did not feel comfortable all the time we were
within fight of one another ; the captain and the
crew might eafily have changed their mind, and I
am to this day quite at a lofs to know how he could
refift the temptation of taking thefe ihips, which,
upon an average, were worth 500,000 French
livres a piece. He might the more eafily have
done this, as he knew that I fhould not dare to
take any fort of revenge upon him in England,
and that he would have enriched himfelf in this way
without danger $ but he was faithful to his engage-
ments, and my apprehenfions were ufelefs.
I had on board my fhip nine French iilors y
taken from the Carnatic, a veffel belonging to
the French Eaft- India Company, which anchored
by the fide of me in the Thames. Thefe nine fai-
lors,
[ 59 I
lors, amongft whom were the matter and the mate,
appeared to me to be courageous people,! therefore told
them of my apprehenfions refpefting the behaviour
of the crew, and propofed to arm them fecretly, to
which they confented j and with the help of a dag-
ger, a cutlafs, and a brace of piftols, with which
they were furnifhed, they would have difabled a
part of my crew from fighting, if they had attempted
to mutiny, and the reft would then have fubmitted
from fear j but all thefe precautions were unnecel-
fary, as they all remained in fubjeftion.
Immediately after I had anchored in Breft har-
bour, the Admiral gave out orders, that no body
fhould come aboard my fliip. At the fame time I
forbid my people to quit her on any pretence what-
ever. I fupplied the crew with as much frefh pro-
vifions as they wanted, for the whole month they
continued in the harbour. I moreover divided
amongft them, as a reward for their good beha-
viour, a gratuity of 8 ool. fterling, viz. ten. pounds
to every failor, and the remainder to the officers.
Two days after my arrival I fet out from Breft to
go to Verfailles, in compliance with the orders
which I had received from the minifter. I inform-
ed him of every occurrence, and in confequence of
the manner in which he fpoke of me to the king,
his majefty was pleafed to grant me a penfion of
6000
[ 60 ]
6000 livres. I here fubjoin a copy of the letter
which the minifter did me the honour to write o.n
this fubject, on the 4th of April, 1779.
" S I R,
" I have laid before the king an .account of the
fervices you have hitherto rendered to government,
and his majefty is pleafed with the ardent and in-
defatigable zeal which you have difplayed, and of
which he trufts you will continue with unabated ar-
dour, to give additional proofs. In order to fur-
nifh you with the means for fo doing, and to give
you at the fame time a teftimony of his fatisfaction,
his majefty has juft granted you a penfion of 6000
livres a year, beginning from the ill of January
in the prefent year ; which lhall be paid to you,
cither wholly out of the marine department, or at
leaft part of it, and the remainder from the department
for foreign affairs. It is with pleafure that I ac-
quaint you with this inftance of his majefty's favour,
which I am perfuaded will iacreafe your attach-
ment to his fervice.
I have the honour tcrbe, &c.
(Signed) DE SARTINE."
My account of the ftate of the different ports and
harbours, and the method of attacking them, which
I pointed out, having been examined before a
board
[ 61 ]
board of minifters, it was there determined that if
matters were fuch as T had reprefented, it would be
for the intereft of the ftate to carry my meafures
into execution, and to take advantage of the ene-
my's negligence ; but as I had mentioned feveral
extraordinary circumftances which they could not
readily credit, they refolved, at the fame time that
they accepted my propofal, to appoint an officer on
whom they thought they could depend, to go over
with me to England, to examine into the truth of
what I had related, and to fet me right in any par-
ticulars in which I might have been miftaken. The
perfon appointed was M. de B , an engineer in
the army, who was in confequence ordered to re-
pair to court.
When this officer came, I went with him to the
minifter for the war department, where he was in-
formed of the commifiion on which they wanted
to employ him. Prince de Montbarey told him,
that if he would confent to go, he Ihould be re-
warded with the Crofs of St. Louis, be promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and have a pen-
fion of 4000 livres (i661. 135. 4d.) fettled upon
him ; and he promifed, if we fhould execute our
commifiion fatisfactorily, that he would raife me to
the rank of colonel, make me a knight of St. Louis,
and give me a penfion. He made ufe of thefe
expreflions,
exprefiions, " I am authorifed by the king to pro-
mife you thefe favours ; fuch are the intentions of
his majefty, which 1 am commanded to make
known to you."
M. de B required twenty-four hours to con-
fider upon the dangers of the undertaking, arid at
laft determined to engage in it. The minifies af-
ter having put into his hands fome written direc-
tions, made him a prefent of 12,000 livres (500!.)
which was immediately paid him ; after which we
fet out for Breft. The very day we got there we
embarked in my fhip, and failed without delay.
As M. de B wifhed to make his firft obferva-
tions at Plymouth, we (leered for this port, and
got there the following day, in company with a vef-
fel from America, which anchored in the Sound
along with us, by the fide of the guard-fhip.
As misfortune would have it, my crew were all
drunk at the time of anchoring, which had like to
have occafioned fome very ferious confequences.
. The guard-fhip having hailed us to know the name
of the fhip, and where we came from, my captain,
who was intoxicated, gave an infolent anfwer. The
captain of the guardfhip was gone to fleep at the
Dock. The lieutenant, who commanded in his
place, being offended at this anfwer, ordered out
i his
his long boat, and boarded us with 25 armed men.
We were fitting quietly at fupper when he entered
the cabin with a part of his men, and in an impe-
rious tone, infifted upon knowing to whom the fhip
belonged, and who it was that had given fuch an
infolent anfwer.
M. de B being quite frightened, ran out
upon deck, and hid himfelf amongft the failors.
My captain, quite confufed at feeing the fhip board-
ed in this manner, anfwered imprudently, It belongs
to this gentleman, pointing to me. Both myfelf
and M. de B were dreffed like common failors.
The lieutenant, furprifed-to fee me in fuch a drefs,
aflced me if it was true that the fhip was mine ;
I anfwered yes, in French. He was Hill more afto-
nifhed to fee the captain difconcerted. He faid it
was his duty to arreft us, and to take me, as the
owner of the fhip, to the Dock.
In crofling the deck, to go down into the long
boat, I paffed by M. de B , fhook him by the
hand, and gave him a hundred guineas, which I
had in my pocket. I fpoke to two failors, on'
whom I could depend, to take care of him, and
carry him off, if poffible, the next day ; after which
I quitted my fhip. About i o'clock in the morning,
as we were near the Dock, I alked the lieucenant if he
knew
knew Mr. *. I know but little of him my-
ielf, faid hej but the captain of the frigate is inti-
mately acquainted with him. Since that is the
cafe, faid I, we will call upon him. When we got
to the Dock, I was taken to the Navy-office, where
we afked for Mr. j they defired me to
walk into the parlour, with my guards, and wait
while he got up. tie was rather furprifed to fee
me, but without lofing prefence of mind, he in-
quired into the reafons of my being arrefted, and
then faid to the officer in a firm tone of voice, you
are to blame for having molefted this gentleman ;
you may go back on board your fhip again, and
withdraw the foldiers immediately from the floopf.
He afterwards took me a part, and I told him the
whole affair. He perceived that we were in an
aukward fituation ; and left me to write to M. de
Sartine, to acquaint him of the danger which threat-
ened us ; I alfo wrote to my principal agent in
London, to put him upon his guard. Thefe dif-
patches were given to one of my couriers, who
Tet out without delay.
Whilft I was engaged in writing, my agent went
for the captain of the frigate, with whom he rc-
* A perfon in office, my correfpondent.
f 1 think it neceflary to mention, that the foldiers who accom-
panied me, were by at the time.
turned
turned about four o'clock in the morning, and upon
giving him a draft for 1 500!. fterling, upon my
banker in London, he went on board his Ihip, and
withdrew the twenty men, who had been left to
guard the , my fliip. He had all his re-
colleftion about him on this occafion, and in order
to prevent any fufpicion refpefting the agreement we
had juft made, he informed my captain, who was
on board the frigate, of the manner in which we
had fettled the bufmefs, and bid him go immedi-
ately and clear our veflel of every thing which could
give rife to fufpicion ; in confequence of which, as
foon as he got to her, he threw all the calks of bran-
dy and wine overboard, to prevent people from
difcovering where the veflel came from.
About nine o'clock in the morning, I went back
to my fhip, and found M. de B in the hold,
covered up in his hammock, in which he had hid-
den himfelf all the night ; we embraced one another
moft cordially.
I ordered them to try and get as many of the
calks as they could out of the water again j feveral of
them were picked up not damaged amongft the rocks
on the Ihore ; the reft were ftaved. They brought
them into Plymouth, together with two bags, con-
taining four hundred pieces of cambrick, andfome
F other
[ 66 ]
other goods, which, in confequence of giving them
fome money, the cuftom-houfe officers carried up
into the town. M. de B and I changed our
drefs, and afterwards went to Plymouth to take pof-
fefiion of an apartment which had been engaged for
us there.
The failors, who had been left on board our fhip,
thinking they had got a fure prize, laid hands upon
every thing they could carry off. I complained of
this treatment, and in order to make it appear that
things were done in the regular train, the lieu-
tenant was fined ten guineas for the damages.
M. de B employed himfelf for the three
firft days in reconnoitering the fort, which he exa-
mined within fide and without, and afterwards the
different harbours and roads. On the fourth day,
on our return from the Dock, at fix o'clock in the
evening, we found at the door of the houfe where
we lodged, fix foldiers and a coach. This was no
pleafing fight, but we could not avoid going in.
We found in the parlour a perfon in command at
the Dock, to whom our landlord introduced us.
He received us without getting up from his chair.
I thought this a bad omen at firft ; but it was only
the effect of an indifpofition, which prevented him
from ftirririg. " I have heard, Sir," faid he, " that
" you
[ 6? J
" you have been here three days j I am come to
" pay my refpects and offer my fervice to you. I
tc thought I fhould have had the honour of feeing
" you at my houfe in the Dock ; perhaps the or-
" ders there are not to admit any foreigners, have
tc prevented you j but we will fet afide this difficul-
" ty in your cafe, and I hope you will come and fee
" me $ I will entertain you in the bell manner I can,"
I was fo much furprifed at what he faid, that I was
hardly able to make him an anfwer; I recovered
myfelf however enough to tell him how fenfible I
was of the honour he did me, and that if it had not
been for thofe orders (which however I knew no-
thing of) I fhould moft certainly have fatisfied the
defire I had of paying my refpeds to him, and of
forming an acquaintance with a perfon of fuch great
merit ; and that fince he permitted me to have
that honour, I fhould wait upon him the next time
I came. After exchanging many compliments, we
began to talk upon different fubjects. The con-
verfation turned of courfe upon the ftate of the fort j
I afked him if there was a ftrong garrifon, and if
it was well provided with provifions and ammuni-
tion. He anfwered all thefe quellions without the
leaft referve. Qo of livres
(2,083,3.331,65. 8d.) to no purpofe, as I had been
apprehenfrve.
I aH along ftron^y folicited the minifter of the
war department j for the Crofs of St. Louis, but
could not obtain it, as I had loft his favour, for
reafbm which, cut of refpecl:, I forbear to mention.
I was vety much hurt at this refufal, yet did not fuf-
fer it to abate in the Italt my zeal in the king's ftr-
vicc. M, de Sartine was aware of my vexation,
and afked mevxhy I had not received the Crofs or
St. Louis ; I told him I was afraid it would never be<
granted me, and mentioned my reafons wkh all that*
confidence, with which his kindnefs had long fmce
infpired me ; he feemed to fetl for me, and expreffed
hisiatii&ftion ax. my attachment to him, He told
me that it was not in his power, otherwife he would
give me the Crcix de la Marine immediately , add-
ing
t 77 1
ing that he could not with propriety apply for it at
prefent to Prince de Montbarey, but would get it
for me againft the time I fliould join die fleet. He
afterwards directed me to procure fome Englifh pi-
lots for the combined fleet, and particularly for the
Spanifti men of war, the officers of which were very
little acquainted with the channel.
I told him that all the "money which I had re-
ceived for the current expences, had been difburfed
by the ift of Junes and that I had been obliged to
lay out a good deal more for extraordinary purpofes,
and therefore begged him to furniih me with fome
calK He faid, as I had fome property of my own,
he (hould be glad if I would make ufe of it, and of
my credit, to defray the expences of the commif-
fton with which I was charged, till the feafon was
over, when he would reimburfe me: I had too
much confidence in him, to hefitate a moment about
fulfilling his wiflies. I put into his hands a gene-
ral ftatement of what I had laid out> which exceeded
by n6,poo livres, the money I ha4 received; as
may be feen from the following recapitulation.
[ 78 ]
General recapitulation of monies received.
French livrcs.
Sums received from the minifter at dif-
ferent times, to the i ft of January 1779,
amounting to 28,750!. fterling, or 690,000
Received atBreft in the courfe of the month
of March, by an order from M. de la
Porte, upon the royal treafury, lool.
fterling, or 2,400
'Sum total of receipts up to the ift of July 692,400
General recapitulation of the fums paid on the kings
account to the ift of July, 1779. viz.
French livres,
According to the firft fettling of the ac-
counts, the expences up to the ift of Ja-
nuary i779> amounted to 20,571!. los.
fterling, or 493>7 l &
For fix months current expences, at the
rate of 37,368 livres per month, from
the ift of January to the ift of July,
amounting to 9,342!. fterling, or 224,208
i oool. fterling paid to a ftate-merTenger, or 24,000
8ool. fterling diftributed amongft the crew
of the , at Breft, for their good
behaviour at the time we fell in with the
merchant veffels off Ulhant, or 1 9,2 ot
[ 79 3
French livres.
Extraordinary expences on M. de B 's
account, viz. 2000!. fterling, or 48,000
Sum total of difburfements to the ift of
July 1779, viz. 33,713!. i os. fterling, or 809,124
From which, after deducting the money re-
ceived from government, viz. 28,850!.
fterling, or 692,400
My difburfements on the king's account,
exceeded my receipts, by 4,863!. los.
fterling, or 1 1 6,7 24
Recapitulation of t he Jl ate of my own f nances.
In hand on the ift of January 1779, tne
fum of 1 8,7 50!. fterling, or 450,000
By profits arifing from purchafing fhips at
Plymouth, at two different times, viz.
7000!. fterling, or 168,000
Sum total of money, which I fhould have
had in hand, on the ift of July 1779 618,000
From which however, in confequence of
my lofs, by the freighting of the Spa-
nifh fhip, there was a deduction amount-
ing to aoool fterling, or 48,000
C 80 ]
freact li-vres.
"Befides a deduction alfo of the Rims which
1 had advanced for the king, amounting
to 4,8 6jl. los. fterling, or 1 16,724
Both of which reduced the fum total of my
money in hand, on the ift of July to
18,886!. los. fterling, or 453*276
Befides the above* there were other extraordinary
expences, which I had incurred, from being obliged
to increafe the falaries of my agents ; but, as oil the
other hand, I did not let my money lie dead, the
profits which I made in different ways from it, ba-
lanced pretty nearly the expences which are not fet
down.
In the mean time, the term of the agreement
made with my captain being expired, M. de Sar-
tine, authorifed me to renew it upon the fame foot-
ing; which I did on my laft journey to London, a
few days afterwards.
Juft as the French fquadron, under the com-
mand of Count d'Orvilliers, were on the point of
failing from Bred, to join the Spanilri fleet, and part
of the French army had repaired to the place where
they were to embark ; I reprefented to the minif-
ter, that as the Englifh fleet would probably be
i fitted
[ Si ]
fitted out in lefs than a month, it would be much,
better, that Count d'Orvilliers fhould go into the
Channel with 32 fhips of the line, and fet about the
invafion immediately, than be fent to the coaft of
Spain. If they had done fo, England would have
been reduced to a very awkward fituation; for Ihe
had not at that time 15 men of war fit to go out,
fo that it would have been an eafy matter for the
French forces alone, to execute the whole under-
taking *j but government thought proper, for
reafons, which it is not my bufmefs to enquire into,
to arrange matters differently.
At the time of my journey with M. de B
I had acquainted my captain, and my principal
agents in London, with the fecrets of my defigns
againft Plymouth, and had gradually excited in them
ideas of gain, which made 'them capable of
everything: they were not much furprifed at the
vaftnefs of my plans, and inftead of remonftrances,
which I naturally expected, they offered to co-
operate with me. I therefore informed them par-
ticularly of the meafurcs I had concerted. The only
* The truth of this afiertion, was proved by what afterwards
happened; for the Englifli fleet did not put out to feafora month
after the failing of the French fquadron j and from that time, till the
taking of the Ardent, the former were conftantly reinforced by
fhips which joined them, asfaft as they were fitted out.
G circum-
[ 82 ]
circumftance, which could give us any doubt about
our fuccefs, was the garrifon of 300 men at Ply-
mouth. The perfon belonging to the Admiralty,
promifed he would get an order Figned by the
Englifh minifter, for withdrawing the garrifon, a
fortnight before our project was to be put into exe-
cution; provided we would engage to give him
ioo,oool. fterlingto be difpofedof as he thought pro-
pen As this fum was not to be paid till a month
after the fuccefs of the enterprife, I promifed him all
he afked.
f
On our return, I communicated to M. de
Sartine the particulars of this new engagement,
which required his fignature ; but he did not chufe
to put it to a bond for 3,000,000 of livres, in an
affair of this nature. The bufmefs was therefore
fettled in a different way; viz. it was calculated
that the taking of Plymouth, in confequence of the
advantages the French king would gain by it,
would be equivalent to 60,000,000 (2,500,000!.)
and it was agreed that they Ihould fecureto me, as a
reward for my fervices, the twentieth part of every
thing that Ihould be taken, without any reftri&ions
whatever with refpect to the ufe of it. In confe-
quence of this, the following warrant from the king,
was made out,
"Thb
[ 83 1
cc This day the 5th of June 1779, the king be-
ing prefent at Verfailles: in confideration of the
important fervices, which we have received from
Count de Parades, colonel of horfe, and of the in-
ftructions which he has furnifhed for facilitating the
execution of the enterprifes, which may be under-
taken by his majefty's fleets : his majefty has pro-
mifedj and does promife, to the faid Count de Pa-
rades, or the bearers of thefe prefents, in his name,
the twentieth part of every thing, which fhall be
taken from the enemy, according to the inftructions
of Count de Parades, whether the captures fhall
confift offhips, forts, or contributions, &c. and in all
cafes in which his majefty's forces fhall make them-
lelves mafter of a country or town, which fhall not
afford any contribution, he fhall be recompenfed
proportionably to the importance of the object, and
according to his majefty's royal bounty. In wit-
nefs whereof, his majefty has figned, with his own
hand, thefe prefents, and has ordered them to be
fealed and counter-figned by me, one of his ma-
jefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, and comptroller of
the finances."
Signed, LOUIS.
Underneath, DE SARTINE.
Sealed with the Royal Seal,
G a With
r 8 4 3
With the title which this warrant gave me, toge-
ther with the perfuafion which I ftill had of the
fuccefs of the operations, I thought I had a fecurky,
not only for the money which I had already ad-
vanced, but alfo for that which I was going to ad-
vance, and likewife for all the engagements I fhould
enter intp, on account of the expedition.
I returned to England, renewed my agreements
there for a year to come, procured fome Englifh
pilots for the combined fleet, and completed the ne-
ceffary arrangements for the fuccefs of the different
undertakings. All our agents who were let into
the fecret of the defign upon Plymouth, thought
they had a right to demand an addition to their
falaries j accordingly my captain required 300!,
flerling more a month, for himfelf and his crew;
the perfon belonging to the Admiralty, 1 50!. the
principal agent at London lool. the agent at Ply-
mouth 6ol. the agent at Portfmouth 30!. the reft
were contented with their former pay. I did not
think proper to difpute about the terms, with peo-
ple who ferved me fo well, and to whom, confider-
ing the nature of the circumftances, I would as
readily have given twice as much, if they had afked'
for it. All thefe fums added together, made an
addition of 640!. fterling per month, to which the
minifter made no objection.
A few
[ 85 ]
A few days alter my arrival, M. de Sartine order-
ed me to prepare for going to Breft, from whence I
was to proceed to join the fleet, which was expected
to arrive every day. After fettling my family af-
fairs, I went and received from the minifter, my
final orders on the evening of the 2.6th of June, and
left Verfailles the next day. 1 got to Breft on the
firft of July, and there delivered into the hands of
the Marquis de la Prevalaye, the minifter's letter,
which contained orders for the Glory frigate, com-
manded by the Chevalier de Bavre, to take me on
board, and carry me to the fleet.
I went on board heron the 2d of July, butfhe
continued at anchor fome days longer, to complete
her ftore of provifions. We afterwards anchored at
Berthaume, that we might lay more in the way for
joining the fleet. The orders of the Minifter were,
that fhe Ihould not go out to fea, left the difpatches
from Government, with which ihe was charged,
fhould fall into the enemy's hands.
Some time after I had gone on board, upon hear-
ing that Prince de Montbarey was come to Breft, I
went there to communicate to him fome very inte-
reftlng news, which I had received from England.
I ftaid there two days, and afterwards went on board
again. At the fame time, I fent M. de Sartine an
G 3 account
[ 36. ]
account of the intelligence which I had received at
fea, informed him alfo that the Englifti pilots*,
which I had been ordered to procure for the com-
bined fleet, had been waiting off Uihant, ever fmce
the 15th, and added that I did not think it proper
that their fhip Ihould come into Breft for obvious
reafons.
After waiting 38 days, we defer ied the combined
fleet in the morning of the yth of Auguft, and there-
fore failed from Berthaume at 10 o'clock, and join-
ed them at night, to the leeward of Uihantf; I
went on board the admiral's fhip the fame evening,
to deliver the difpatches with which I was charged
by government. I found Count d'Orvilliers lad and
dejefled, owing, in a great meafure to the late de-
* Thefe pilots, to the number of 23, flood government in about
3,oool. fterling, which on account of the long delay of .the fleet,
proved to be an ufelefs expence. Not being able to join the combin-
ed fleet, they returned to Plymouth.
] It is difficult to conceive how the fleet came to fall to the lee-
ward of thisiflandj according to the report of the officers, they con-
ftantly fleered for the.Scilly Iflands, but by a very unlucky concur-
rence of circumftances, they were borne upon the coaft near Breft.
During the whole of their courfe, the wind had blown from the
weft, or fouth weft point, which is the only plaujible reafon that
can be given. After they had left Breft, to fail for Spain, they fell
to the leeward of Corronna, contrary to all rules; thefe blunders
were owing to the ignorance of thofe who directed the courfe.
ceafe
ceafe of his fonj he alfo complained of the delays he
had met with on the Spanifli coaft, of the want of
provifions and water, and of the ficknefs which pre-
vailed in the fleet. I returned and flept on board
the Glory frigate, whi.ch I quitted the next day, the
8th of Auguft, for the admiral's {hip the Bretagne,
agreeably to the minifter's orders.
The fame day I had a private conference with the
admiral, who repeated to me what the officers had
already told me, viz. that on account of the wretched
fituation of their fliips, and of the latenefs of the fea-
fon, they defpaired of being able to do any thing.
Owing to contrary winds and a calm, and in con-
fequence of expecting a fupply of provifions from
Breft, the fleet remained for a week within fight of
land to the leeward of Ufham*.
As I thought it would be expedient to make an
equal diftribution of provifions and water, I took the
liberty to propofe it; but was anfwered that this
would be contrary to cuftom. Accordingly no fuch
diftribution was made all the time the fleet lay to,
or were becalmed > but they were afterwards obliged
* The vi&ualling fhips were ready at Breft, as the minifter had
ordered ; but the calm, or fome other reafon which I am unac-
quainted with, prevented them from going out.
G 4 to
[ 88 ]
to have recourfe to it at a time when the Tea was
very rough, and when they fhould have been other-
wife employed.
I reprefented to the admiral that it would be bet-
ter to double Ulhant, and wait for the victuallers at
the mouth of the channel, as by this means we
could eafily intercept a rich fleet of Englifh mer-
chantmen, of whofe arrival I had received advice*.
But this propofal was adopted too late, in confe-
quence of the hourly expectation of the victuallers,
and in the end was badly executed.
On the 1 4th, we at laft quitted fight of land,
and fleered for the channel, with a weft fouth weft
wind; having previoufly fent word to Breft, for
the victuallers to join us at the Lizard-point, where
we were going. This day at noon, as we were failing
in three divifions to the north north eaft, our van
made fignals of having difcovered feveral of the
enemy's fhips, amongft which we clearly perceived
one of 80 guns, from the Bretagnej accordingly
the fignal for purfuit was thrown out to the chafing
fhips, and to fome of thofe in the line, and the
* This fleet, which was coming from America, entered the chan-
nel on the morning of the i3th, convoyed by a few frigates, and a
(ingle (hip of the line. If we had doubled Ufhant a day fooner, I
am convinced they would have been taken.
whole
whole fleet continued its courfe till night, but fet
little failj the chafing veflels were called back in
the evening.
I obferved to the admiral, that the fhips which
we had feen, were probably the rear guard, or a
divifion of the Englifh fleet, which I knew had or-
ders to keep in this latitude*; and could not help
expreffing my furprize that the chafing fhips had
been called in, and that the whole fleet had not
joined in the purfuit: I was anfwered that they had
indeed difcovered fix Englifh men of war, which
they might eafily take on their return > but that they
were convinced that the greateft part of the Englifh
fleet was not at fea, but had put back into port, as
foon as they had heard of the approach of the com-
bined fleet. In confirmation of this opinion, they
had drawn different plans of Spithead, where they
had reprefented the fleet as being placed in the
forms of a horfe-fhoe, a fquare, and other pofitions,
which fecured them from attack. In confequence
of fuch falfe reports, our fleet was induced' to give up
the purfuit.
* Thefe fhips were in reality the rear guard of the Englifh fqua-
dron, whofe main body was fume leagues to the weft. It is there-
fore probable that if we had continued to chafe them, with our
whole fleet, we fhould have come up to them in three or four hours,
as we had the wind in our favour ; or at leaft we fjiould have fatif-
fied ourfelves that the enemy was out at fea.
I (till
[ 9 ]
I fljll perfifled however to remark that it was
much more probable that the Englilh fleet would
keep at fea, than remain at Spithead, where they
might be bombarded from the ifle of Wight, which,
as it was in a defencelefs ftate, we might eafily take
pofleffion of. But inftead of attending to my argu-
ments, all the officers, excepting the admiral, were
of opinion that it would be better to tack to the eaft,
and proceed into the channel for the purpofe of
examining the enemy's motions. This meafure
however was not long perfifted in, for thofe very
officers who had advifed it, defired to leave the chan-
nel under different pretences.
This being the cafe, I flated that as the vidual-
)ers, which were the only refource and hopes of
our fleet, had been ordered to come to the Lizard -
point, without any other inftructions, they would
be liable to be taken by the enemy, who were be-
hind us. That even fuppofing they fhould get
there fafe, they would not know where to find our
fleet; that they might, through miftake, join the
Englifh fquadron, if they met it*, and that it was
* Thefe viftuallersleft Breft the day after we fiuled, and attempt-
ed to come to the Lizard-point, agreeably to orders ; but they fell
in with the Englifli fleet, which chafed them for 44 hours : luckily
however, they got back to Breft, without lofmg a fingle Teffcl; am!
thought it prudent not to go out again, as they did not know
where to meet with our fleet.
therefore
therefore proper to difpatch a frigate to inform them
of the courfe we were fteering, and of the danger
they would run; unlefs indeed we left fix men of
war to wait for, and protect them, and to watch
at the fame time the enemy's motions.
I was anfwered that there were not frigates enough
to fend off at every moment*, that a fleet atfea
Ihould never be divided j-j and that the fix Englifli
men of war which had been feen, would be gone
quite off the coaft. This laft obfervation made one
of them fufpect that thofe fix fhips had come there
for the purpofe of diverting the combined fleet, and
drawing it away from the channel into the open fea.
This opinion was univerfally received, and from be-
ing at firft a mere conjecture, it was afterwards look-
ed upon as a certainty. They wondered it had ne-
ver occurred to them before, that fuch a ilratagem
was pofiible ; though I was perfuaded that nothing
of the kind was intended, for the enemy ran much
lefs rifk by watching us, with all their forces united,
than with a fmgle divifion; which however they
would not admit.
* No fleet had ever fo many frigates to attend it, for they
amounted to 25.
f They had juft admitted the reality of a divifion of the Englifh
fleet, and yet immediately afterwards faid that the meafure was im-
prafticable, and contrary to the rules of war.
On
On the 1 5th, at feven o'clock in the morning, as
we were fteering to the North with the wind in the
Weft, we difcovered land, and therefore tacked
about and fleered into the Channel, in fight of the
enemy's coaft, bearing down to the Eaft-North-
Eaft.
The admiral began now to inquire for the pilots
with which I was to provide the combined fleet 5
I told him that after they had remained at fea for
fix weeks, in fight of Ufhant, they were obliged
to put back to Plymouth, from whence they would
come and join us whenever fent for. I then put
into his hands an exact defcription of this port,
which had been/c/^ to France, and of which we
could take pofleflion without finking a blow. In
the mean time I propofed to get on board fome of
the Englifh fifhermen, who being well acquainted
with the coaft, would, on being fufficiently paid,
aft as pilots to the fleet. As the admiral told me
he had very little money about him, I offered him
2000 louis d'ors, which I had taken with me to
pay the Englifh pilots. He agreed to make ufe of
them if there fhould be occafion, and faid that my
plan for taking Plymouth fhould be farther examined
when we came nearer that port.
On
[ 93 1
On the 1 6th, having the wind in the North-Raft,
and fteering Eaft South-Baft, at noon we came within
fight of the Sound, and anchored at the diftance of
about four leagues from Plymouth. It was now
deliberated whether we fhould proceed any farther, or
whether, confidering the wretched fituation of the
French fhips, it would not be more prudent to
return to Breft, unlefs we fhould chance to fall in
with the victuallers*. I reprefented to the admi-
ral, that if he returned back at a time when he had
it in his power to take Plymouth, he would cer-
tainly be cenfured by the Court, who would never
believe that the difficulties were fo great as the
officers had dated ; that he had drawn upon himfelf
the attention of all Europe, and that his country
expected great things from him ; and that if he
gave up the invafion, and returned to Breft, he
would run the rifle of being ftript of the laurels
he had gained in the courfe of 60 years fervice.
He anfwered, by complaining, that in fpite of his
* But we had left them behind, without leaving orders where
they were to find us. In anfwer to this, it was faid, that we
might receive fome fupply of provifions from St. Malo or Havre ;
but was it likely they fhould be better acquainted in thofe ports
with the diftrefled fituation of the combined fleet, than at Breft.
The officers plainly {hewed, by their whole conduit, that they
had perfuaded Count d'Orvilliers to proceed as he had done, leav-
ing the Victuallers behind, expofed to the enemy, only for the fake
of returning to Breft, under the pretence of a want of provifions,
and fo ending the feafon.
remonftrances
[ 94 ]
remonftrances to the contrary, he had been com-
pelled to fail from Breft and proceed to Spain, be-
fore the fleet had taken in a proper quantity of
provifions ; and that on his return, when his (lores
were almoft entirely exhaulted, and his men fick,
inftead of being relieved by the expected fupplies,
he was obliged to proceed into the Channel with-
out being able to a6l. Gillard* and Du Pavilion f,
faid he, will inform you more particularly of our
diftrefled fituation. Upon applying to M. de Gil-
lard, he told me that they were really reduced to
diftrefs, by a total want of provifions and water,
and by the lofs of men, which increafed every
* Captain and purfer of the admiral's fhip, who conftantly.took
care to make the admiral believe, that the fleet would be ftarved
to death, if they did not put back into harbour.
f A diftinguiflied officer in the fleet, who had great knowledge
of taflicks, and was perfectly acquainted with the management
offignals.
J Some of the {hips had taken on board 25 oxn, 60 fheep, and
fowls of all forts, fome more, fome lefs ; all this was. in a great
meafure confumed, the tables were not fo plentifully covered, and
confequently we had a powerful motive to return to Breft. Many
reafons may be given for the difeafes which prevail in our fleets ;
amongft which may be mentioned the putrid exhalations from the
vaft quantity of live-ftock, which is always taken on board to fup-
ply the luxury of the officers' table. Amongft other nations, on
the contrary, the principal officers live in a more frugal manner,
and
5
[ 95 1
However, it afterwards appeared (for the fleet did
not get into harbour till the i4th of September)
that the French fhips had flill provifions enough for
a month, whilft the Spaniih fhips had as much as
would ferve them for three months. The number
of fick might amount to about 3000 at fartheft; and
the number of thofe who had died fmce they had
been out, reckoning 10 men from fome fhips, 3
and 4 frdm others, and 7 from the Bretagne,
amounted to about 200.
I propofed to the admiral to remedy thefe dif-
trefTes, in either of the following ways, viz. Firft,
Provided I was furnifhed with a fufficient number
of fhips to enter Plymouth, I engaged in writing,
and under the penalty of lofmg my head, to bring the
whole fleet to anchor in the Sound, and to fupply
them with the necefiary provifions ; or, Secondly,
the fleet might anchor in Torbay, where I engaged
in like manner to furnifh them in a week's time,
with 600,000 livres (25,000!.) worth of provifions,
for which I was to advance the money.
The remonflrances and oppofition of his council,
prevented the admiral from adopting, as he feemed
inclined to do, the firft of thefe propofals j he how-
and the lieutenants, midfhipmen, &c. mefs almoftthe fame as the
failors : of thefe laft, there is generally too great a number on board
our fliips.
ever
ever refolved upon the feeond, viz. the anchoring
in Torbay, though even this met with fome oppo-
fition.
In the morning of the lyth, the wind being in
the Eaft, and as we were fteering in a line of bat-
tle to the South South-Eaft, in order to clear and
get round the Start-point, at ten o'clock we defcried
to the leeward, four fhips lying to, one of which
was plainly difcovered 'to be a fhip of the line.
Our people examined them for fome time, and then
agreed they were Spanifh. I had an excellent telef-
cope, by means of which I thought I difcovered the
Englifh. colours but to make myfelCmore certain,
1 went up to the top-gallant maft, where I con-
firmed my firft obfervation. That I might be Hill
more certain, I counted the number of our own
fleet, and found there were 22 in the van, and the
fame number in the rear. Our line of battle was
complete ; and at noon the Bretagne having tacked
about to the windward, together with the whole
line, I had an opportunity of obferving, that die
fquadron of obfervation, and the chafing fquadron,
were both complete. After I had thoroughly fa^
tisfied myfelf that the fhips in fight were neither
Spanifh nor French, I came down from the maft,
and communicated my obfervations to the admiral ;
and upon telling him .they were certainly Englifh,
M. de
[ 97 ]
M. de Vaugirot (aid major to the fleet) exclaimed,
that it was very odd, after he had declared, and
given his word of honour, that he had difcovered
them to be Spanifh (hips belonging to M. de
Cordova's fquadron, a perfon fhould come and
raife any doubts about it ! I excufed myfelf, by
faying, that my telefcope might perhaps have de-
ceived me j and no body repeated the obferva-
tions to contradict him. I may add, as a ftill
farther proof that they were the enemy's fhips,
that, although we had made fignal to crowd fail
ever fmce the morning, they ftill continued
to lay to. But nothing could turn them from
their opinion, and not a word more was faid
on the fubject till night.
After we had tacked about at noon, as above
mentioned, we fleered N. N. E. till night,
which brought us back again near the Sound ; and
as the wind blew towards it, we might have very
eafily entered j accordingly I recommended this
meafure once more, urging, that Plymouth was
without defence, that the fort was only guarded
by a hundred invalids, and that there were not
any other foldiers either in the town or the neigh-
bourhood : that all the batteries were unfit to be
ufed, that the garrifon of St. Nicholas amounted
only to fifty men, and that the harbour was de-
H fended
I 9* ]
fended by a fmgle frigate only; fo that.byon'c
bold flroke we might take pofleffion of it.
I required 600 men, a bomb-vefiel, and a fire-
fhip, with which I engaged to take pofieflion of
the fort. The admiral feemed willing to com-
ply with my requeft, but the officers reprefented
to him that he had no exprefs order from the
Minifter, to entruft me with any fuch enterprife ;
that if I did not fucceed, as in all probability I
fhould not, he ran the rifk of being reprimanded
by the Court} that the land foldiers which had
been taken on board refufed to proceed*, and
that the marines were not fit for fuch an expedi-
tion; that it would be firft of all neceffary to
have the Minifter's confent in writing, for which
they would apply by the firft frigate that fhould
be difpatched from the fleet ; that moreover, it
was not likely that the fort and harbour were in
fuch a defencelefs ftate as I wifhed to make them
believe ; that two large encampments had been
difcovered upon the coaft, one on each fide of
* There were on board the admiral's fhip, fome companies ef
the Burgundy regiment, the commander of which declared in a po-
fitive manner, that he would not fuffer any of his foldiers to land,
and at the hazard of their lives, engage in an expedition for which
they were never defigned; hehadbeenfentonboard,hefaid,to guard
the fhip, and would not quit her till he got to Breft. I learnt after-
wards, that he had been inftigated to hold out this language in vin-
dication of their refufal.
the
t 99 1
the Sound*, which was a proof that the enemy
were upon their guard ; that it was even very pof-
fible that the Englifh fleet, which had not yet
been met with, had retired into the Sound on our
approach ; and therefore that it would be firft of
all neceffary to go and make obfervaiions.
I replied, that I was certain I was right in every-
thing Ifaid with regard to the ftr.te of the Sound
and of the fort, and that I had concerted it fo
that we fhould be feconded by people there, as
fooh as we appeared ; that as the orders of the
Court were to aft offehfively, it was left to the Ad-
miral to determine upon the meafureS that fhould
be taken, and to appoint any officer he chofe to
head the expedition, and that the rank of colonel
entitled me to fuch command; that with regard
to what they faid refpecting the refufal of the fol-
diers, I would eafily remedy that, by taking fif-
teen of the common faildrs, or evert a fmaller
number, out of every French fhip; that the Spanifh
ihips would not refufe to give the fame afliftance;
and that many of the marine officers had told me
*- There was no real encampment, but merely fome companies
militia fcattered alting the Coaft ; and it would have required at
leaft twenty-four hours before they could have got together, aa
any as three hundred, either at Plymouth or any where elfe.
H a they
t ioo ]
they Should be very glad to accompany me*. In
fpite of all thefe arguments, the Admiral yielded
to the Lnilances of the officers who wanted pre-
vioufly to reconnoitre the place. He told me in
private, that my youth, together with the cir-
cumftance of being a land-officer, were the rea-
fons why they objected ; and that the want of a writ-
ten .order from the Minuter to that purpofe, af-
forded them a plaufible excufe for oppofing me.
Having thus refolved to reconnoitre the Sound ;
the Lougre k Mutin, commanded by the Chevalier
de Roquefcuille was fent on this fervice. At fix
o'clock, the fleet had got between Eddyfton-light-
houfe and the coaft,and if we had continued in the
fame tack, we fhould have reached the entrance
of the Sound in an hour's time, as the wind blevr
to that quarter; but we were fuddenly ordered to
tack about, and fteer to fea during part of the
night. At eight o'clock the Couronne pafled
the ftem of the Bretagne; but did not hail till
ten o'clock in the morning, to inform us, that the
Ardent, an Englifh man of war of 64 guns, had
been taken by fome of our frigates. All were
then very much furpr-ifed to find they had been
mlftaken about the fliips, which they had feen
the whole day before.
* Several of thefe officers had written to me, requefting me t*
five in their names to the Admiral, in order to be employed on my
expedition, if it fhould take place.
The
The Ardent, wh/ch was commanded by Cap-
tain Boteler, had failed from Portfmouth, where
{he had beenjuft fitted out. Her crew confided of
about 550 men, of which not more than a hun-
dred were fuilors; fhe came out of port with her
guns loaded, but without any ftock of cartridges,
which the Englifh feldom make up till they are
at fea. She had been ordered to join the Englifh
Meet off the Lizard-point. The day after fhe
failed, Ihe defcried the combined fleet fleering
round the Start-point, and taking us for the En-
gliih, made towards us without any fufpicionj
and even manoeuvred fo as to fall into our line.
The Juno frigate, commanded by M. de Marigny,
on feeing the Ardent, made fignals to her, which
fhe did not anfwer j whereupon the Juno threw
out the fignal of an enemy's fhip to the Couronne,
which immediately bore down. At the fame
time, the Glory and the Gentille frigates came up.
The latter fired a broad fide at her yards, and
killed many of the men, who were reefing the
fails. The Englifh captain perceiving his mif-
take, attempted to gain the coaft, but the Juno,
by a bold manoeuvre, crofled her to prevent this,
though fhe was expofed to all the fire of the Ar-
dent. But this Ihip being unprepared for action,
fired only a fingle gun at a time, without being
able to load again ; the Couronne now came up
H 3 and
[ 102 ]
and opening her port-holes, prefented her broad
fide; but M. de la Touche-Treville, who had
the command of her, with a generofity truly ad-
mirable, kept from firing, in order to let the fri-
gates, to which the Ardent was afterwards obliged
to ftrike, have the honour of taking her.
On the 1 6th, two Italian failors, who had
been fent in a boat from Plymouth, by the cap-
tain of my Ihip, which was lying at anchor there
with the pilots, had come on board the Bretagne,
to enqyire why we did not come and take pofTcf-
fion of Plymputh, as had been long before
agreed upon. On queftioning thefe failors, they
declared that there was not a fmgle man of
war in the Sound, that the Englifh fleet had been
cruifing for a week paft between the Start and
the Lizard-points, which made people fuppofe
the combined fleet was the Englifh, till they were.
able to count the number of fliips.
The teftimony of thefe men was not fufficient
to confirm what I had faid ; efpecially as it was
contradicted by M. de Roquefeuille, who on his
return reported, " that he had gone very far into
the Sound, and had difcovered 9 men of war
of 80 guns, and 6 frigates, and had come fo
near them that they hoifted their flagj and be-
fide?
fides thefe which he had diftinftly counted, he
had difcovered the mails of a greater number be-
hind the fort." Nothing could be more pofi-
tive than this; however, I was fo certain that it
was not the cafe, and fo convinced that my cap-
tain and the two failors would not deceive me,
that I did not btlieve a word he faid. I begged
the Admiral to afk M. de Roquefeuille, in what
pofition they lay at anchor j to which he anfwered
that the large fhips lay by the fide of the walls
of the fort, to the left of the Sound, and that
the frigates were farther out.
This account was fo contradictory to the na-
ture of the place, that no body who knew any
thing about Plymouth, could fuffer himfelf to be
impofed upon by it. For the fort is fituated at
the bottom of the Sound, upon a confiderable ele-
vation which joins to the land. The town of
Plymouth is behind it ; to the left of the Sound
is fituated the iiland of St. Nicholas, which is
formidable on account of the rocks and fhallows
about it. The only place in which men of war
can conveniently anchor, is on the right fide of
the Sound, though they may indeed anchor near
the fort, when obliged to it, either in entering, or
coming out of dock. But the miftake did not fo
much confift in placing on the left fide what was,
H 4 in*
I 104 ]
and fhould have been on the right, as in repre-
fenting a number of fhips, where there were none j
befides, how was it poflible to fee any of them be-
hind a fort built upon fuch an eminence ?
Thefe remarks which I made, excited fome
doubts, and accordingly a frigate was fent out to
reconnoitre the place a fecond time. When Ihe
returned, her report entirely coincided with the
former. I was now quite filenced, and it was fet-
tled beyond difpute, that the Englilh fleet, ex-
cepting the divifion which had been feen off the
Lizard-point, was blocked up, and theMagicienne
frigate was difpatched with this intelligence
to government.
I again reminded the Admiral of the depen-
dence I had on the truth of what my agents and
the failors had ftated. I remarked, that it was
not probable that the obfervations which had
been made by two different fhips, could agree
fo exactly, and that it was evident that they had
met and compared notes, that they might not
contradict one another. I plainly told him, that
as to myfelf, I not only fufpefted, but was even
convinced that both their reports were falfej
and as a farther confirmation of this, I afked him
fo let me go this very night with the two failors
who
C J ]
who had come on board, and an officer of the ma-
rine, and examine the place by landj with a promife
of returning the next day, either in the boat, or in
my own fhip, which was at anchor in the Sound.
The Admiral would not comply, as he was told
that the officers who had made the obfervations were
very well qualified for the purpofe, and that it would
fre an infult to doubt their accuracy. They even
Balked of punifhing as fpies, the two failors who, as
they laid, had brought a falfe report, and probably
with the intention of deceiving the combined fleet.
It was known at our Court that the Englifh fleet
was cruifing at the mouth 9f the Channel ; and they
moreover knew that the town and fort of Plymouth
were deferted, and that the invalids, and all the in-
habitants had fled as foon as they had difcovered the
combined fleet. They alfo knew that there was
not a fingle man of war in the harbour, that all the
batteries were unfit for ufe, and that they had no gun-
powder left: what then muft they have thought of
the Admiral upon receiving his difpatches, which
ftated that the enemy's fleet was blocked up; they
muft have fuppofed he was out of his fenfes, this,
however, was by no means the cafe. It was certain-
ly not his bufmefs to reconnoitre the Sound in his
own fhip, but to truft to the report of the officers of
reputed abilities, to whom he delegated that fervice j
thefc
I 106 ]
thefe officers therefore ought to have been tried for
the falfe accounts they gave, and, together with the
perfons who recommended them, and oppofed my
landing, Ihould have received ail the blame, jnftead
of the Admiral. Thus I faw the object, to' attain
which I had been engaged for 18 months, and
which had been attended with great fatigues, un-
ceafing cares, and extreme dangers, and upon
which the king had expended above 120,000,
livres (5000!.) at once irretrievably loft.
On the 1 8th, M. de Marigny, came on board
the Admiral's (hip to give an account of the taking of
the Ardent j the Admiral expreffed his furprize that
he had not brought with him the captain, and fome
of the officers of the fhip, to examine them; he an-
fwered, that they had already done fo, and that the
Englifh captain had told them, he knew nothing more
of the Englifh fleet, except that it was cruifmg in this
latitude, and that he had met with his prefent misfor-
tune from miftaking us for them. On his return to
England, this officer was tried by a court-martial, and
declared incapable of ferying ever afterwards, for
having miftaken a fleet of 65 fhips, for one of 39.
The weather now became ftormy, and continued
fo for feveral days, accompanied with thunder,
which damaged two of our fhips ; in confequence of
which the Ardent took the place of one of them
in
in the line. On the 23d the weather cleared up,
and was almoft calm; and we were quite aftonifhed
to find we were more than 80 leagues to the
weft of the Stilly Iflands, that is, 120 leagues from
Plymouth.
On the 24-th, with a good breeze from the
North North-Weft, it would have been eafy for
us to have made up a part of our lee way -> but
the frigates having defcried twenty fhips to the
South South-Eaft, the fignal was given for a
general chafe, which lafted two hours, when they
were difcovered to be our fquadron of obfcrva-
tion. This prepofterous purfuit, which carried
us farther away, was owing to the negligence of
thofe who had been appointed to look out. On
the 2 5th we had a fine breeze. The whole fleet
lay to at feven o'clock in the morning, with or-
ders for all the principal officers to come on board
the Admiral's fhip, to hold a council. The whole
of this day was afterwards employed in making
an equal distribution of provifions and water, a
bufmefs which was the more difficult, as the
fea was very rough. At feven o'clock in the,
evening, the fleet was ordered to fail under the
fore-top fail all the night.
On
C 108 ]
Qn the s6th, as we were fleering to tire
North Eaft, under a brifk breeze from the South
South-Eaft, the 1 fignal was thrown o'.tt at noon of
fhips to the leeward i half an 'hour afterwards,
the fignal was made of having difcovered twenty
fail, and then of 200. Thefe fignals were repeat-
ed through the whole fleet, when the admiral
boifted the flag for chafing, and every Ihip
crowded fail in an inftant. We continued chafing
as faft as poflibJe for nearly five hours; but we
could not fee any thing, and thefefore began to
be impatient. At this time, the repeating (hips
of the van made the fignal for giving up the
chafe. They had been fadly mjftaken, for there
was neither a fleet, nor yet a fingle fhip. In
confequence of this chafe, we were drawn con>
fiderably out of our courfe, and it required a long
time before we could regain the diftance we had
loft. On this occafion I could not help obferv-
ing, that if I was in the Admiral's place, I would
hold a court-martial upon the officer who made
the firft falfe fignals, in order to teach the reft to
be more careful in their obfcrvations in future:
and 1 called to mind what I had before faid re-
fpe&ing the miftake which had been committed
in reconnoitringPlymouth ; and which was proved
to be fo by the account they had juft collected
from
[ I0 9 1
from a neutral veflel, which flated flie had been
hailed the day before by the Englifh fleet, about
twenty leagues farther to the Weft. Thefe re-
marks of mine were not at all liked, and only
ferved to create me enemies.
On the ayth, 28th, 29th, and joth, nothing
remarkable happened. We moved flowly to-
wards the Channel. On the 3ift at four o'clock
in the morning, as we were fleering in three divifi-
ons to the Eaft-South-Eaft, with aWeft-North-Weft
wind, we difcovered the Englifh fleet at the diftance
of about three leagues to the leeward. The fignal
was immediately given for forming a line of battle,
and crowding fail; together with other fignals pre-
paratory to an engagement. At about feven o'clock,
the line of battle was nearly formed ; but many of
the officers reprefented to the Admiral, that it would
be better to order a general chafe, by which means
they might furround the enemy in a few hours ;
however, as we had begun already to fail forward in
a line of battle, he refufed at firft to yield to their
advice ; though he was afterwards fo much prefled
and importuned, that contrary to his own opinion,
and to that of M. du Pavilion, he fuftered the fignals
for a general chafe to be given; in confequcnce of
which the line was broken, and every ihip chafed
with all her fail. At eight o'clock, the admiral per-
ceived
ceived his error, repented of having yielded to the
advice of his officers, and ordered the chafe to be
difcontinued. The fignal was again made to form
the line of battle , this required a confiderable time,
as the quick failors of the rear ha who was in the
rear, would be fure to catch them, and that it was
befides, impofiible for them to efcape.
I farther 'remarked at four o'clock, that thefe?
fliips were oppofite the rear of our line, that they
fuffered themfelve.s to be feparated on purpofe, and
though they had all their fail out, they did not make
any way; that their manoeuvres plainly {hewed
they had an intention to pafs behind us; but our
officers faid that was not poflible, Laftly, at five
o'clock (the wind had changed to the eaft, and then
again to the fouth-eaft) one of thefe three fhips,
which
which had been driven farther than the two others^
tacked about, and failed before the wind in a north-
eaft direction, and patted behind us fo quickly, that
fhe was foon out of fight; the weather became
cloudy, and the two other fhips inftead of keeping
near the wind, took the advantage of the dufk of
the evening to get off, by fleering to the South
South-Eaft. Not only myfelf, but the whole
crew were witneffes to the. manoeuvres of thefe
Ihips, which were firft rates. The Admiral was
equally informed of their motions; but when he
fpoke about them, the officers told him, he might
make himfelf eafy, for they could not efcape;
which, however, they did completely, owing to
our negligence. To make matters worfe, at fix
o'clock M. de Cordova gave the fignal of having
difcovered a fleet to the leeward ; in confequence
of which we were ordered to tack about, and to
make a general chafe.
If we had continued to purfue the enemy, we
fhould have certainly overtaken them, and
they would then have had no other refuge
but Spithead, where we fhould have blocked
them up, which would have been a fine ftroke for
us; for we fhould then have been matters of the
fea, and of the Ifle of Wight, from whence they
could have eafily been bombarded and deftroyed;
I but
[ H4 1
but all our hopes were gone from the moment
the purfuit was given up.
After we had continued to chafe for an hour,
we difcovered at a diftance a number of Ihips,
bearing Englifh colours, as was thought; our
people began to make fure of victory, as the fhips
could not fail of being intercepted. Their
fpirits revived, till they heard a falute of twenty-
two guns, which was returned by the Spaniih
Admiral. This fleer, which they had taken to
be the Englifh, and which had been already fur-
rounded, confifted of fix Dutch merchantmen,
convoyed by a fingle frigate; and were differed
to proceed on their courfe, at the expence of a
falute. Every report of the guns was a death-
blow to our expectations, and gave another in-
ftance of our blunders. The whole fleet flacken-
ed fail, was ordered to move in three divifions,
and fteered to the Weft North -Weft.
From the moment that the fleet left fight of
Plymouth, and that all hopes of takingthis fort were
loft, I was quite out of fpirits and difguftedj and
finding that I was now of no ufe on board, and
that my health was impaired, I requefted leave
of the Admiral to let me take the opportunity
cf returning home in the Triton, which was going
back
t "5 1
back to France. He confented, and accordingly
I left the Bretagne on the 3d of September, at
fix o'clock in the evening; and the next day at
noon, we anchored in the harbour of Breft.
I only flopped three days at Breft, to let Count
d'Orvilliers' meflenger get the Mart of me in ac-
quainting tht Minifler with the particulars of our
proceedings, as I had been requefted. Probably
he was afraid that my report would not be in his
favour j but from all I have faid, it will eafily be
feen what opinion I had formed of this general-
officer. Both to the Minifters, and to every
body elfe before whom I have fpoken of him, I
have held the fame language as in thefe memoirs.
Count d'Orvilliers, to the qualifications of a good
Admiral, united a degree of weaknefs, which is
often obferyed in great men. As he had too
much diffidence in his abilities, he rrever main-
tained with fufficient firmnefs, his own opinion,
though it was the beft $ nor enforced his firft or-
ders, though they were always judicious j he was
too eafily perfuackd that he was miftaken.
The day I landed, I fupped at M. De la Forte's,
with whom I had a good deal of converfation
about the fleet j but I took care to make no re-
marks upon Count d'Orvilliers, which could tend
1 2 -to
[ " 6 ]
to call in queftion his abilities, or raife any
doubts about the propriety of his meafures.
I fpent the whole of the next day with the fame
perfon, excepting a vifit which I made in the
afternoon to fome ladies, in whofe company I
met with feveral officers of the marine. In the
courfe of our converfation, I was afked what fort
of accommodation I had found on fhip-board :
I replied, that my attendants had fufFered a good
deal*; and that as for myfelf, I expected to have
been better off, after what Count d'Orvilliers,
and the Minifter had told me : I added, that this
was entirely owing to my being prevented, by
* I had expected that my fervants, or at leaft my couriers,
would have been fufFered to eat of what came from the officers'
table ; but they were all of them put upon failors' allowance ; and
as they were not accuftomed to live upon cheeje and fait fifh, they
were nearly ftarved. I complained of this, and was anfwered, that
what came from the officers' table, was but juft enough for their
own fervants. This feemed to be a fatisfaclory anfwer : but I was
foon afterwards informed, that they made a trade of thefe leaving*
of the tables, and that a good meal might be had upon paying for
it : yet, in fpite of this monopoly, I contrived that my people
fhould get a comfortable nourifliment.
The poor failors and convalefcents, who required fome little
niceties to create an appetite, were obliged, when they were out
of money, to fell their allowance of provifions to the cook, and
amongft one another, to procure in this way, at a very dear rate, a
mouthful of frefn meat.
circum-
[ 7 ]
circumflances, from getting on board till after
all the births had been occupied : but I obferved,
that I had no complaints to make againft the
officers on this head j nor was I over difficult, for
I had undergone many hardihips and difficulties
at fea, for nearly two years before -, but never-
thelefs I expected to have been better off on
board the Admiral's Ihip. Some of the com-
mon volunteers had better births than I had*.
On the 6th I paid a vifit to the Marquis d'Au-
beterre, and to M. de Langeronj but did not
enter into any particular converfation refpecting
the fleet. On the jth I left Bred, in company
with Captain Hamilton, who was irritated againft
Count d'Orvilliers, for the fevere reprimand
which he had received from him on the jift of
Auguft. He fought to be revenged in a cruel
manner, by fpreading abroad unfavourable reports
of him, and by accufing him as the caufe of the
* The day I fet out from Verfailles, M. dc Sartiie told me, that
he had received a letter from Count d'Orvilliera, in which he men-
tioned, that they had fitted out a fmall apartment for me in
the council-chamber ; where he afiured me, I Ihould be comfortably
off. An apartment had, indeed, been fitted out for me, but had
been pulled to piccci again, before I got on board,
Is M
bad fuccefs of the expedition. I remonftrated
with him on this point; but he felt himfelf fo
much hurt, that it was without effed.
In the mean time, the importance of my mea-
fures, and the ardour and intrepidity which 1 (hew-
ed, had drawn- ' upon me the attention of the
public, and excited envy. I pafled for being the
perfon who had faid all that this officer had
uttered; becaufe it was not known that he was
come on ihore, but it was well known that I was,
He went on before me, and continued to propa-
gate the fame reports againft the Admiral ='nd
the fleet. All this was laid to my charge. I did
not hear of thefe reports till two months after-
wards, and I only mention them here to excul-
pate myfelf from being the author of them;
and to fliew that I did not defcrve the fevere
reproaches, which were caft upon me on this ac-
count.
I was very near being killed about forty leagues
from Breft, owing to the careleflhefs of the
poftillionsj but luckily my carriage happened to
be the only fufferer, I did not come off fo well
in going into Rennes; for one of the wheels
beinp caught in the fpring, I ordered {he driver
tq
to flop, that I might examine it : whilft I wai
imprudently trying to difengage it, he, for want
of attending to what I was about, drove on ;
and, as I had not time to draw my arm away,
it muft have been inevitably torn to pieces, if
the axle-tree had not broken ; by which accident
the wheel was let loofe; but my right hand was
badly cruihed by the overturning of the carriage.
It happened at midnight. I was immediately
carried to the neareft inn, for the necefTary af-
fiftance. The Intendant of the province having
heard of my accident, came at eight o'clock in
the morning, to offer me his fervices; I thought
myfelf much indebted, for this attention, to a
magiflrate who had no acquaintance with me.
He brought me an invitation to dine with the
Bifhop of Rennesj but I thought I could not
accept it, on account of my accident, and there-
fore only promifed to make him a call. This
Prelate received me with particular civility ; he
talked to me a good deal about my own affairs,
and told me, that being intimately acquainted with
M. de Sartine, he knew all my tranfactions. I
attributed this kind reception to the favourable
opinion, which the Minifter had given him of
me. He, moreover, told me, that he received
twice a week an exat journal of the proceedings
of the fleet; and, indeed, he appeared to me to be
1 4 very
very well informed *. I talked to him without
referve of the faults which had been committed ;
and we joined in lamenting the little advantage
that had been derived from an expedition, which
had raifed fuch great expectations. He preffed
me fo ftrongly to dine with him, that notwith-
ftandingmy wounded hand, I thought I could not
in politenefs refufe him. Befides other company,
there were two colonels of the Infantry, who pre-
* This puts me in mind of an abufe, which I mould, not other-
jvife ha ) ve i mentioned. Whenever a frigate was difpatched from
the fleet, every body had the liberty of fending letters by it ;
this gave the enemy an opportunity of coming- at the knowledge
of every thing that pafted .on board. For whilft the fleet was
employed upon the Spanifh coaft, in fettling then' line of battle,
and in repeating" the fignals; drawings and defcriptions of the
whole, were received in England, even before the plan of them
bad been distributed on board each fliip ; the Avignon-Gazette,
made mention of this; at which, they .were furprifed, though
it was plain enough how it happened; fmce the perfons who
had the management of thefe operations of the fleet, fold for
54 fous-a fheet, every thhtg that was printed on board. One
cf ,the failors bought for me a book containing a compleat and
coloured collection of all the fignals, and likewife an account of
^11 the orders of the fleet, for which he "gave a louis-dor '; fimilar
Copies were fent on'fhore : if the parcels were too big to be put in
the letter-bag, they] we*e given to the boat's crews of the frigate?,
Mfifti directions to deliver them to ftich .and fuch perfons at Breft.
^y the fame means_ that every failor" was acquainted with the aclual
ftate of the 'fleet; and'What ftock of previfions there was on board;
not only France, but England, got intelligence of it.
tended
tended to know the particulars refpe&ing the
"tran factions in which I had been engaged, and
related many circumftances, that I knev/ nothing
about, and to which I replied only by a fmile,
which they took for a mark of approbation.
Thefe abfurdities, which I did not then take the
trouble to contradict, were afterwards laid to my
charge at Paris.
I fet out from Rennes at midnight. On the
nth I arrived at Alenc,on, where my hand giv-
ing me much pain, I flopped fome hours to get it
dreffed, and alfo to repair my carriage, which
had been again broken. Here I received a vifit
from Mr. Boteler, Captain of the ' Ardent j to
whom, as he was out of money, I offered my
purfe. He took 200 pounds fterling upon his
word of honour; and remitted me the money
immediately after his return to London. I had,
at different times, affifted in this way above 60
perfons, as well officers as merchants, whilft they
were prifoners in England, to enable them to re-
turn to their country ; and, I may add, to the ho-
nour of all thofe whom I had thus relieved, that
they took care to reimburfe me ; on their return to
France.
On
[ I" ]
On the 1 2th, at nine o'clock in the evening, I ar-
rived at Verfailles. The day after, I had a fhort
interview with M.
tie this matter, and that he had fpoken to him about
it. I moreover wrote to Count de Vergennes-j who
was fo good as to apply by letter to M. de Sartine in
my behalf; but, whether it was from inattention or
defign, he fent my letter along with his. This let-
ter of mine might perhaps contain fome unguarded
expreflionsj I therefore foon found that M. de Sar-
tine received me with more coolnefs, without how-
ever deftroying my expectations of being repaid*
He told me that I was accufed of living in a very ex-
penfive ftyle at Paris, and of not being fufRciently
guarded in my converfation. I felt thefe reproaches
the more fenfibly, as they were without foundation^
for I lived quite retired, and never went out to make
vifits ; I told him foj and added, that I would de-
fy any body to prove before him, that I had ever
been heard to talk about the affairs of government*
As he did not appear to be quite fatisfied, I took
the liberty of writing to him, exprefiing how much
I was grieved at rinding he had altered his opinion
of mej and withdrawn his confidence.. This let-
ter produced a good effect, and I had the futif-
faclion to fee that he began to treat me again with
his former kindnefs;
K i Whert
[ 13* 1
When I found they had given up every idea of
invading England, I defired four of my agents,
upon whom I could depend, to enter themfelves in
the troops which were embarking for Gibraltar, and
the ifland of Minorca. Before they fet out, I put
into their hands fome written directions refpecting
what they were to do when I came there. Some
time after their departure, M. de Sartine ordered
me to cruife off Ufhant, in one of my fhips, for the
purpofe of watching one of the enemy's fquadrons,
which meant to intercept the French vefiels in which
M. de Rochambeau's army was to be fent to Ame-
rica, and to favour the failing of thefe tranfports
from Breft, by bringing them immediate intelligence
of what I might difcover; he, at the fame time,
promifed me a fupply of money. In confequence
of this, I ordered my captain to get ready for failing,
and to take on board provifions for four months, as
I intended,, after I had left Breft, to go to Gibraltar,
and from thence to Minorca,
As this new expedition naturally expofed me to
many kinds of danger,' I arranged my family-affairs,
and making fure of my reimburfement, I entered
into an agreement with the Marquis .of Vaines, for
the purchafe of an eftate, which he wanted to part
v.'ith, in Alface. I had juft before laid out 150,000
livres (which were part of the money I had lent out
upon
[ '33 ]
trpon bonds) for the purchafe of thelflandofMaflaire,
at St. Domingo, from the two Marfhals of Noailles.
The remainder of the money, which I had lent out
upon bonds, viz. 100,000 livres, I had difpofed of
in fupporting the expences of my correlpondence in
England, till I fliould be repaid by government.
Having fettled all thefe matters, and having 'about
10 days to fpare, before I fet out, I took this oppor-
tunity of getting myfelfprefented to the King; 1 had
ilrong motives for To doing. I had acquired a hand-
fome fortune, and had neglefted nothingto make my-
felf ufeful, and the Minifter had told me feveral times
that his Majefty was pleafed with what I had done, and
intended to make me fome perfonal recompenfe; I
moreover thought, that the honour which I Iriould
derive from being thus prefented, might alfo re-
dound to the advantage of government, by infpiring
a greater degree of confidence in the perfons whom
I fliould employ on the King's account. I applied
to Count de Maurepas, who told me with his ufual
kindnefs, that I had better afk the Duke de Fleury
to prefent me. When I had the honour to wait
upon this nobleman, he aiked me if I was known to
the minifters, I told him I was; this was on the.
Tuefday, he told me he would prefent me on the
Saturday following. When I informed M. de. Sar-
tine of it, he faid he would wait till I had been pre-
Tented, before he would give me his orders.
K The
[ 134 3
The day after I had been prefented, M. de Sartine
did me the honour to fay, that the King had fpoken
of me and mentioned that I had been prefented,
and that his Majefty fcemed to be pleafed with my
fervices. As I had now nothing more to detain me,
J requefted him to give me my final inftructions, but
he wifhed to have the King's orders for my depar-
ture, as well as for my reimburfement. In expecta-
tion of which, 1 was kept conftantly going back-
wards and forwards between Verfailles and Paris, for
the Ipace often days afterwarcls.
In the mean time the honour cf having been pre-
iented to the King, was flattering to my vanity, ancj
gave me new life. Notwithftanding the capriciouf-
nefs of my ftars, and the obfcurity of the firil part
of my life, I felt within my breaft a confcioufnefs of
my noble extraction*. Full of fuch notions, I
wrote one morning to the Duke de Coigny, reqtieft-
ing a moment's interview with him; he fent me
word back, that I might come to him immediate-
ly, as he was juft going out a hunting. I did not
expect, and was not prepared for fuch a fudden in-
terview; I had a very plain coat on, fuch as I always
* I fhall produce in a feparate publication the proofs hereof, by-
means of which I hope to do away all the insinuations that have
been thrown out on this fubjeft,
5 ufcd
[ '35 ]
'ufed to" war in England, and on my journies *;
however, I went to him infcantly, and begged him to
tell me what were the neceflary qualifications and
forms to be admitted in the King's carriage. He faid,
that it was fufficient to procure a certificate from M.
Cherin the genealogift. I returned him thanks,
and took- leave of him -, and when I came to Paris, I
went to M. Cherin, who faid that he had above 60
genealogies to make out, before he could fet about
mine. I therefore deferred profecuting this bufmefs till
I had more leifure, and, in the mean while, continued
to prepare for my departure, which was prevented
by circumftances that will be mentioned farther on.
Till now I had experienced no other vexation,
but that of having concerted meafures to add to
the glory of our arms, which feme fatality had
rendered ufelefs. My own private peculations
had for the moft parr, terminated fuccefsfully, fo
that my fortune was confiderably encreafed j and
although I had laid out the greateft part of it in
advance orj the King's account j yet I did not
look upon it as the lefs fecure. The favours
which I had received from his majefty, aug-
mented in my heart the noble ambi;ion, to de-
* Ifhould not have mentioned this circumPcance, if fome of my
enemies had not thought that I had behaved too cavalierly on tlili
occaficn.
K 4
[ 136 ]
ferve them more and more ; futurity feemed to
open to me the moft delightful profpecls ; but$,
was on the eve of the greateft misfortune.
What then was this owing to? My prefiing
felicitations, during the feafon of 1779, that the
fleet fhould profit from the arrangements I had
made refpecting Plymouth, and the falutary
counfcls I had given, but which had not been
followed, no doubt, ferved to draw upon me the
ill will of thofe who oppofed my meafures. The
rank and fortune to which I had fuddenly rifen,
could not fail to excite envy ; and, as I was too
fenfibly convinced by experience, envy takes
every opportunity to deprefs its object; according-
ly, my courage was rcprefented as temerity, my
trania<5tions, as dangerous intrigues, my converfi-
tions as being unguarded, my title as an ufurpation
upon a noble family, to which it was afTerted, I
was not at all related ; my being prefen:ed to the
King, as a ridiculous piece of vanity ; and, laftly,
my fortune, as the reward which I bad received
for my treachery.
Young as I jftill was, and having never appeared
at Court, but on account of the bufmds with
I was commiflioned, I was ignorant of the
art
[ 137 3
art with which calumny is fo active in fpreading
tHdmoft wicked infinuations ; but 1 had foon af-
terwards the misfortune to experience it, in the
following manner.
i continued going frequently to Verfailles, to
folicit orders refpectins; my departure j M. de Sar-
tine, though he had been prejudiced againft me,
ihewed no figns of it. It was a piece of policy
necefiarily connected with his office, to conceal
his fentiments. He told me, on the ift of April,
1780, that he had fettled matters, fo that I Ihould
be paid on the Monday following, which was the
od inftanr, and that I fhould receive, at the fame
time, my final orders. On this day, the 3d of
April, I could not find time to go to Verfailles^
for as I expected that I was on the point of my de-
parture, I employed the whole of the day in fe,t-
tliug my accounts: but I went there the next day,
at 10 o'clock in the morning; and as I entered
the Hotel de la Guerre, fome perfon, in whom
ambition had not extinguifhed every fpark of
humanity, put into my hands, in a myfterious
manner, a letter without any direction. I opened
it as foon as I goc into the hall, and read thefe
words, the
Inn
[ '39 J
Inn where I lodged. Here all alone, I appealed
dl my own heart, to the zeal and fidelity with
which I had ferved my King, and I fancied my-
felf fecure from reprehenfions, becaufe I knew of
nothing with which I could reproach myfelf.
This reflexion, or rather this confcioufnefs, ferved
to diffipate my apprehenfions in a, great degree.
At five o'clock, being the time appointed by the '
Minifter in the morning, I went to the Hotel
de la Guerre. He had juft gone into his clofet : as
I got to the door, I met with his fecretary, M.
la Croix, who was juft coming out, and to whom I
faid, with my ufual freedom, well, how do matters
go on? very well, faid he, with a fmile ; and
putting his hand to his breaft, you, are always
here, faid he, but you can not fee the Minifter till
between 7 and 8 o'clock ; he bid me tell you fo ;
in the mean time, come along with me into mv
office, and we'll have a little chat together. No,
faid I, I am going to the play, but I ftiall be
here again at the hour appointed.
The air of fincerity which the fecretary Ihewed,
would have diflipated my fears, if 1 had had any re-
maining ; but they werefpon afterwards renewed;
for on paffing along the hall, I met with the fame
two men, who had been pointed out as Exempts
in difguife, and whom I had not perceived
as
[ 140 ]
as I came in. When I had got to the gate of the
court, I found one of my people, who wasjuW
come from Paris, and who put into my hands a
letter, which I immediately read, and which in-
formed me, that in the morning, juft after I was
gone, an Exempt had come to my houfe and had
afked to fpeak with me, and that upon being
told that I was gone to Verfailles, he went away.
J had not walked ten fleps in the ftreet, before
a ftranger came up to me, and gave me a letter,
adding ; " get away as fad as poffible". I had
now no longer any doubt that I was going to be
arrefted. When I got into the palace, I read
this note which contained the fame kind of warn-
ing as the former. I felt myfclf determined to
face my misfortune, thinking it was beneath me
to take advantage of the hints I had received,
and to fly from the danger which threatened
me *. I went to the play with the determina-
tion to return to the Minifter at 8 o'clock, and be
arrefted in his own houfe.
But, alas! this ftroke was far from being in-
different to my feelings 3 for it would feparate
me from an only child ftill in her helplefs infancy,
and who was the object of my tendered affec-
* Thefe warnings feem to have been from the mimfter himfelf.
Note of the tranjlator.
lions ;
tipns ; and when could I again expeft to fee my
wife, who would arrive in France, in a few days;
and to ihare with her, the cares and anxiety for
our dear infant.
With my mind full of grief, I came out of the
play-houfe, and went to the Hotel de la Guerre, and,
in palling along the court, I perceived on each fide
of me, fome people who kept clofe to my heels, fo
that by the time I got to M. de Sartine's, I was fur-
rounded by them ; however, I reached his clofet
without oppofition. One of his valets de-chambre
told me, I could not fee him ; I anfwered in a firm
tone of voice, that I had fomething new and impor-
tant to fay to the Minifler, and he muft Ihow me in.
The fervant had not, perhaps, received orders ftricl:
enough to refufe me, when I infifted fo ftrongly ;
accordingly he opened the door, and fhewed me in.
M. de Sartine afked me what was the urging bufmefs
I had to fpeak to him upon. Sir, faid I, I am come
to know why you have given orders to have me ar-
refted. Who told you that I. had, faid he, furprized
at this abruptnefs ? I am perfectly well informed of
it, I replied. He then confefled it was true, adding,
that he had been commanded to do fo by the king,
as I had been accu fed of treachery to the ftate. In
hearing this accufation, I own I could hardly con-
tain
[ 144 ]
tain rnyfelf, but the agitation I was in, was the ef-
fect of innocence. The rriinifter perceived that j[
was very far from wifhing to behave difrefpeftfully to
him, he was fo good as to defire me to fit down, and
compofe myfelf. He fpoke to me abotit my birth,
which was fufpefted to be different from what I had
given it out to be. I obferved, that if fome of the
parties immediately concerned, or government,
had any thing to fay againft me on this account, it
was a matter which ought to be referred to the courts
of juftice. The Minifter agreed to the propriety of
this remark, and even added, that the matter to be
determined at prefent, was not, who had ferved the
king, but whether the king had been well ferved*
This converfation gave me time to compofe myfelf j
M. de Sartine alked me if I was difpofed to fuffer my-
felf to be arrefted without making any refiftance, I an-
fwered I was, upon which he rang the bell, and then
one of the guards oftheprevote came in, and arrefted
me in the king's name. The minifler was kind enough
to fay to me on parting, that he hoped I fhould clear
up my conduct, and have ample juftice done me.
There was a carriage waiting for me at the gate,
which I ftepped into along with three guards. They
drove to my houfe at Paris, where we arrived at two
o'clock in the morning ; I found two officers of
the police there, with a great many people; all my
papers
[ 143 1
papers were packed up and fealed, and Tent with me
to the Baftile, where I entered on the 5th of April, at
about four o'clock in the morning. My people
were arrefted the fame night ; both my fecretary,
and my daughter's nurfe, were confined in the Baf-
tile. My little girl, who was but four years old,
was ill, Ihe was left in the hands of the guards, who
continued in my houfe for about a month; and I
had afterwards the misfortune to lofe her.
It may be eafily fuppofed, that during this con-
finement, the ftrifteft fcrutiny was made concerning
my conduct From the treatment which I experi-
enced in this fituation, I had reafon to believe, that
their prejudices againft me had been carried to the
greateft length. I forbear to enter into particulars,
not becaufe I have promifed to be filent refpefting
them, but from a fpirit of moderation. After all,
the refult of their ftrid enquiries, for the fpace of 14
months, has only been, that my innocence proved to
be equal to my fortitude, and that, though I was
treated as a perfon fufpefted of treachery to govern-
ment, I had in my pofTefiion, numerous proofs of
having always a<5ted with the greateft fidelity.
On the 1 5th of May, 1781, at two o'clock in
the afternoon, 1 was at length releafed from the
Baftile; but while the injuries which I had fuf-
fered-
[ 144 ]
fcred, were not redrefied, this only ferved to
expofe my humiliation. I walked to my own
houfej with a melancholy countenance, and a
heavy heart, like one who is apprehenfive of
finding new fubjects of grief at home. As foon
as I got there, I was informed that my child,
whom I loved fo tenderly, had been dead fix
days. I found my family affairs in the greateft
diforder. During my confinement, my creditors
had taken the alarm, and had brought actions at
law for the payment of what was owing them.
My horfes were, therefore, fold, and all my
moveables and plate were pledged, to-fatisfy their
demands. My wife, who had come to Paris,
three months after my confinement, had, during
this interval, applied in vain to the Minifter for
afiiftance. M. de Sartine made fome pro-
mifes ; but did not continue long enough in
office to fulfil them. The Marquis de Caftries
fucceeded him, and my wife applied to him
for fome money on my account. He wrote her
a letter, dated the i ft of February, 1781, in the
following terms :
MADAM,
" If you will come to Verfailles on Saturday,
between four and five o'clock, I fhall be happy
to receive you. With regard to the money which
you
[ 145 1
you wifh me to advance on your hufband's ac-
count, I cannot fupply you with any, till it fhall
be proved to me that the marine department
is in M. de Parades's debt; and until I (hall,
befides, be acquainted with the fum total of
what is due to him. I find no documents of
this in the offices ; and I think you fhould apply
to M. de Sartine, by whofe orders M. de Parades
advanced the money which you claim. As foon
as you Ihall put into my hands the neceffary
vouchers, I will do all in my power to redrefs
your grievances. I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) CASTRIES."
Furnifhed with this letter, my wife waited upon
M. de Sartine, who, at the fame time that he
acknowledged the juftice of my claims, told her,
that he was no longer qualified to fettle my ac-
counts, and that he muft have the fanction of the
Miniiler in place, before he could do it.
Matters were in this ftate, at the time I was
releafed ; government owed me a very large fum,
and I had neither money nor credit. In this
critical fituation, honour, as well as necefiity, de-
termined me to take every flep that was likely
to lead to my reimburfement. When I was put
in the Baftile, the world had feen me in a ftate
L of
C .46 1
of opulence; but fince I was releafed, they faw
me reduced to want. The calumniators who had
caufed my imprifonment, now pretended, that I
had been obliged to facrifice my fortune, to re-
gain my liberty, and that, confequently, it muft
have been dilhonourably acquired. . For thefe
reafons, immediately after my releafe, I waited
upon the Marquis de Caftries, to requeft him
to authorife M. de Sartine to fettle my ac-
counts.
If I have not hitherto been able to obtain a
reimburfement by any means J have had in my
power, I can only lay it to the charge of a very
active war, which engrofled the Minifter's whole
attention, and prevented him from making any
ufe of the treafury money, except for the current
expences. But the honourable peace which we
have now obtained, flatters me that I lhall receive
that juftice, which I have reafon to expect from
a Prince, who is fo diftinguiihed for this virtue,
and from Minifters who are fo well qualified to
fulfil his intentions. I therefore earneftly intreat,
that government may take the neceflary fteps for
fettling my accounts; and left my enemies
fhould thwart fuch good intentions, J fhall now
endeavour to arm Miniftry againft infmuations
that may be made to my prejudice.
Perhaps,
[ '47 ]
Perhaps, it may be faid, it is not poffible to
fettle an account, which is fupported by no
vouchers.
To this I reply, that, unfortunately, the nature
of my commifTion did not allow me to tranfad
matters in writing, nor to fend any account of
them to the offices, as fuccefs depended entirely
upon fecrecy. But, how can there be any doubt
that I really advanced fuch fums. M. de Sartine
can atteft what I affert j he had every proof, and
fo much was he convinced, that in order to put
a flop to the profecutions commenced againft
me, by MefT. Girardot and Haller, bankers, for the
fum of 80,000 livres j he promifed to pay them,
the money, out of what was due to me from the
King. M. de Sartine is the only perfon who
is acquainted with all my proceedings, which I
was obliged to communicate to him by word of
mouth. Hence I made more than twenty jonr-
nies backwards and forwards, from Verfailles
to England. He has all along known what
falaries I gave, by his orders, to the agents in
England: and is not the following note, written
in his own hand upon the back of a letter, which
I fent him from the Baftile, a moft convincing
proof?
L 2 " M. dc
[ 143 j
" M. de Sartine requefts M. Lenoir to convey
this letter to M. de Parades, and to defire him
to explain that part of it which relates to Mi-
norca, and io tell him aljo to order the j'alaries in
England to be flopped from henceforth.'"
It is pLin, then, that there were current ex-
pences kept up in England on the King's ac-
count j and who defrayed them ? Why, I did, in
compliance with the Minifter's orders, and upon
promife of being reimburfed by the King.
Will it be held out that as government did
not derive any advantage from the money thus
laid out, I ought to lofe it ?
But were not thefe expences incurred at the
Minifter's defire ? Did it depend upon me to
make them turn out more fuccefsful ? Did not
I carry my zeal to fuch a pitch, as to become im-
portunate ? Ah ! f am fure, rather than have
received payment of the money, 1 fhould have
been happy to have feen government profit
from the plans which had coft me fo much
trouble : the glory of having paved the way to
fuccefs, would have been the moft valuable re-
compenfe.
Setting
[ 149 ]
Setting afide the money which I claim from
the King, will my enemies fay, that my prefent
fortune is greater than it was at the time I was
firft employed upon my commiffion, and that
government is therefore quits with me ?
Although the bufmefs on which I was employ-
ed, gave me opportunities of making my fortune,
yet it was not the immediate caufe of it. I was
fent to England, in the fervice of the King ; yet
I was allowed to make private fpeculations, which
turned out fuccefsful. I was the fecret com-
mander of an Englifri crew, and had nothing to
fear from the enemy, as long as my agents con-
tinued faithful, and could thus fafely carry on
trade in the midft of hoftilities. The Minifter
knew thefe circumftances at the time; but knew
that, while I attended to my own affairs, I did
not neglect thofe of the King. The former were
at my own rifk, the latter at that of government,
The Minifter would have difgraced the dignity
of his office, and 'the majefty of the prince, if he
had made this fmgular propofal to me, that I
ihould employ in the fervice of the King, with-
out receiving any return, all the profits I Ihould
gain by my own private fpeculations.
L 2 Should
[ '5 J
Should it be remarked, that the King has
granted me the rank of Colonel, and three pen-
fions, one of 3000 livres, from the marine de-
partment, another of 3000 livres from the de-
partment for foreign affairs, and a third of 10,000
livres from the war department (in all 6661. ijs^d.
fterling). I anfwer, that the above rank and pen-
fions, are undoubtedly very honourable recompenfes
for my trouble, and that my ambition would have
been completely fatisfied, if, as I had been pro-
mifed, they had been accompanied with the crofs
of St. Louis. But do not let us confound
things } what I lay claim to, is not the reward
of my trouble and rifcs, but only the reimburfe-
ment of the money I had advanced from my
own perfonal property, on the King's account.
The love, the loyalty, and obedience of his fub-
jeds, conftitute a part of the King's rights ; but
their fortunes belong to themfelves.
I have fhe\vn in what manner I advanced
money for his Majefty's fervice, and I have fub-
joined a general ftatement of the fums at the end
of thefe memoirs. I now intreat the Minifter to
get the whole of it fettled. M. de Sartine, I re-
peat it- again, is capable of clearing up my pre-
i tenfions,
[ IJI ]
tenfions, for I acted conformably to his orders.
I earneftly fue for juflicc, becaufe it will filence
the voice of calumny which has raged Ib long
againft me, and, at the fame time, enable me to
repair the deranged ftate of my fortune. I there-
fore flatter myfelf that government, now con-
vinced of my innocence, will make me amends
for the wrongs in did me, by giving way to injurious
fufpicions, and by imprifoning me 14 months in
the Baftile. But I Ihall wait with the moft hum-
ble fubmifiion ; and in whatever way govern-
ment (hall think fit to reimburfe me, whether
by life-annuities, or by a grant of land, or in
ready money, my whole life fhall be ftill de-
voted to my King, and my prayers Ihall be as fer-
vent as ever for the long continuance of a reign,
which promifes/0 much glory, wifdom> benevolence^
and, profyerity *.
* Thefc expreffions are excufeble ; a perfon to whom, in 1782,
above Haifa million of livrcs was lawfully due, could only folicit
payment upon bis knees. Our -readers will regret that thefe me-
moirs have not been written in 1789.
General
"I s ]
General recapitulation of expences fixed by tie Mi-
nifter, and of monies advanced on the King's ac-
account.
French livres.
Expences incurred during the three firft
journies in England, including the
fums of money advanced to the diffe-
rent agents, when the agreements were
made ; all which were confented to at
the time, by M. de Sartine, viz.
2708!. 6s. 8d. fterling or 65,000
Purchafe of my firft fhip of 14 guns,
viz. 3500!. fterling, or 84,000
The current expences, according to the
Minifter's firft calculation, amounted
to 1257!. fterling per month ; there
was an addition of 300!. fterling the
following month, which raifed them
to 1557!. fterling, or 37>368 livres j
amounting in the whole at this rate for
13 months, viz. from the ift of June
1778, to the ift of July, 1779, to
20,241!. fterling, or 485,784
Salaries and pofting expences of two mef-
fengers from Calais, to Paris and Breft,
amounting, for the fame fpace of time,
to 279!. 35. 4d. fterling, or 6700
[ -53 ]
French litres.
6ool. fterling loft on board my ftrft fhip,
at the time ftie was wrecked, or 14,400
Purchafe of my fecond ftiip, viz. 2,500!.
fterling, or 60,000
To two horfes killed, and one injured by
the meflengers, viz. 83!. 6s. 8d.
fterling, or 2,000
Robbery committed upon one of the
meflengers, as he was carrying the
money to pay an agent, viz. 6ol.
fterling, or 1,440
Diftributed amongft my crew atBreft, for
their good behaviour, at the time we
fell in with the French veflels off
Ufhant, 8ool. fterling, or 19,200
Paid to a pretended ftate-meflenger in
England, loool. fterling, or 24,000
Purchafe of the a privateer of 14
guns, viz. 1,200!. fterling, or 28,400
Extraordinary expences on M. de
B 's account, viz. 2000!. fterling,
or 48,000
All the agreements were renewed for a
year in June 1779, with an addition of
640!. fterling per month, which, in-
ftead of 1557!. fterling, raifed the ex-
pences
[ '54 ]
French Livre$
pences 102197!. fterling, amounting
at this rate for a year, to 26,364!. fter-
ling, or ~ 632,736
Paid to the Englifh pilots, 3000!. fter-
ling, or, 72,000
The fum total ofexpences to the firftof
July, 1780, would, if the terms of the
agreements had been fulfilled, have
amounted to 64,319!. 35. 4d. fterling,
or, i,5
But I muft remark that I did not really
pay the current expences, beyond the
firft of February, 1780, fo that there is
to be deducted from the above fum,
what was unpaid, for the remaining five
months, viz. 10,985!. fterling, or 263,640
(from which, however, is to be deducted
the money which my agents got by fel-
ling my two fhips, whilft I was confin-
ed in the Baftile, and which they divided
amongft themfelves)
The whole, therefore, of the money ac-
tually paid by me, amounts to 53,334!.
33. 4d. fterling, or 1,280,020
And,
[ '55 ]
French Livres.
And, as the fum total of what I had re-
ceived from government, amounts on-
ly to 28,850!. flerling, or 692,400
There remains due to me, for money ad-
vanced, the fum of 24,484!. 35. 4d.
fterling, or 587,620
FINIS.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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